Cool video of a Southwest jet having WiFi installed

[STL717]

The plane is jacked up to prevent movement while work stands are touching or close to touching the plane.

 

[DX Jake]

Why do they have to jack the plane up to do that?

Is the dome a magnet for ice?

Jacking of the aircraft and installation of shoring (big supports placed under the fuselage) is performed because a large number of fasteners are removed in multiple side-by-side stringers (internal structural strips that adds stiffness and form to the skin and surrounding structure) to accomodate the installation of a large doubler (an additional layer of metal added on top of the existing skin) which helps reinforce the area that the antenna is going to be located. When this many consecutive fasteners in multiple rows at a single location are removed, you want the aircraft jacked and shored to prevent any possible movement of sections of the aircraft relative to each other. You don't want any "twist" or "sag" introduced to an otherwise "straight" aircraft.

 

[Av8tor]

The wifi is super sloooooooooow!

 

[scoreboardII]

Bandwidth is the issue, current bandwidth only supports about 10 people at a time.

 

[anewunion]

It kinda looks like they were fixing the hole that happened in flight.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

It kinda looks like they were fixing the hole that happened in flight.

I was going to mention that.

Makes me wonder if this is just an opportunity from a problem.
Meaning, if they had to strengthen the area due to an A.D. then it would only cost marginally more to install the WiFi service and would be uneconomical to NOT install the antenna.

Just an observation. I don't have any supporting evidence.

 

[Newkem]

I was going to mention that.



Just an observation. I don't have any supporting evidence.

You usually don't. :laugh: Lib.