What Is This????

[PilotChapin]

I flew in recently into a Midwestern airport, and I began a conversation with a Corporate Lear 31 pilot. The guy flies for a large corporate flight dept that operates alot of lears...some of you might already know who I am talking about. Anyway, after talking about life, jobs and what not. The fellow pilot metioned something that really came to my attention. He said that at this flight department they make some of their pilots wipe down their landing gear struts after flights. I laughed at first but then realized that the guy was serious. Has anyone heard of this BS....is their a good reason behind this besides being an ass. Anyone??

 

[Flying Illini]

...wait a minute...is this like telling the new guy to go get a "bucket of prop-wash?"

How dirty are their landing gear struts getting for them to need to be wiped down after every leg?!

We very occasionally will wipe down the underside of a cowl if there is excess oil on it while we're on the road but usually this task is left up to the cleaning crew back at home.

 

[Groundpounder]

Actually, there is a good reason to wipe down the struts. If there is any dirt on them, it could either screw up the seals in the strut, or etch the strut, which would also lead to leaks.

But, is that a job for the pilot? Who knows.......

 

[PilotChapin]

Actually, there is a good reason to wipe down the struts. If there is any dirt on them, it could either screw up the seals in the strut, or etch the strut, which would also lead to leaks.

But, is that a job for the pilot? Who knows.......

Well my point is, how can I say it....yeah I had an idea that was the reason behind that. But let me ask you this....when was the last time you saw a Gulfstream or BBJ co-pilot wipe down landing gear struts???? Think about that one....sounds like a MX issue to me.

 

[dragland]

I fly for a corporate flight department and it is standard procedure to wipe down the aircraft before the flights that originate from the home base. We fly a B200 and the exhaust carbon on the nacelles and the wings, if left un-treated, becomes a nasty mess within several hours if not wiped off (we have a pretty new aircraft with good paint). It's not just "busy work" because the chief pilot does more than his fair share. I would wager that a lot of corporate flight departments do similar because what CEO or VP wants to get out of a plane that looks like a freight hauler (no disrespect to the freight dawgs out there). Only takes about 20 minutes and most people don't even realize you do it, but they would realize it if you didn't.
**edit** we wipe down the struts also (at least I do)

 

[Gatorman]

Pilots...sheesh.
....wouldn't know what to do if they had anything else to do besides sit in the pointy end of an airplane.

lol...just ask one to dump the crapper.

Yeah- right

 

[PilotChapin]

I fly for a corporate flight department and it is standard procedure to wipe down the aircraft before the flights that originate from the home base. We fly a B200 and the exhaust carbon on the nacelles and the wings, if left un-treated, becomes a nasty mess within several hours if not wiped off (we have a pretty new aircraft with good paint). It's not just "busy work" because the chief pilot does more than his fair share. I would wager that a lot of corporate flight departments do similar because what CEO or VP wants to get out of a plane that looks like a freight hauler (no disrespect to the freight dawgs out there). Only takes about 20 minutes and most people don't even realize you do it, but they would realize it if you didn't.
**edit** we wipe down the struts also (at least I do)

Well son after realizing that you have 700 hours let me ask you this. How much are they paying you? 24K...maybe. Do you realize that a king air 200 or C90 doesnt require a copilot? at 700 hours that's all you really are my boy....a radio operator, checklist reader airplane housemaid. I know a couple of young kids that right seat in king airs and pilatus and well at 500 hours that's all that they are actually qualified to do....so dont feel too proud now.

 

[Flybet3]

Well son after realizing that you have 700 hours let me ask you this. How much are they paying you? 24K...maybe. Do you realize that a king air 200 or C90 doesnt require a copilot? at 700 hours that's all you really are my boy....a radio operator, checklist reader airplane housemaid. I know a couple of young kids that right seat in king airs and pilatus and well at 500 hours that's all that they are actually qualified to do....so dont feel too proud now.

dam....busted. Anyways, well those guys have to do whatever it takes to keep management off the a$$es I guess. I guarantee you that a good %ige of them dont give a rats a$$ whether the struts last for ever.

 

[PilotChapin]

Well I've been a Captain for many many years and not once have I asked anyone of my FOs to wipe down struts...if they really need some cleaning then that's why we have mechanics or aircraft cleaning employees. If someone asked me to do it, i would tell them I am tooo old and they can go pound sand!

 

[Diesel]

My old boss was a real mechanic. He told me about wiping down the struts and how that would save the o-rings yada yada yada. Then he looked at me at said, that's from the military.They had teams of guys that would do it. But it's not for us. If you ain't flying you ain't making money.

Fly and sleep that's all I want you to do. He told me.

We were averaging about 200hrs every 4 weeks on our B200. You should have seen what our nacells looked like.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

I have never wiped down a strut or heard of doing so....

I would have walked away confused (again)

weird Mo-Fos out there...not ALL of them are at the regionals.

 

[PilotChapin]

I have never wiped down a strut or heard of doing so....

I would have walked away confused (again)

weird Mo-Fos out there...not ALL of them are at the regionals.

Dam G where have you been? J/K well i just find it retarded that after alot of pilots put up with B/S they still have to get under the GODD**N airplane and get full of grease and Oil just b/c some fu**ing prick thinks that's going to save the company money, like I said.....if someone told me "I want you to wipe down the sturts after every flight" I would punch him on the nose and wipe the strut with his face. Call me grumpy

 

[Flybet3]

Dam G where have you been? J/K well i just find it retarded that after alot of pilots put up with B/S they still have to get under the GODD**N airplane and get full of grease and Oil just b/c some fu**ing prick thinks that's going to save the company money, like I said.....if someone told me "I want you to wipe down the sturts after every flight" I would punch him on the nose and wipe the strut with his face. Call me grumpy

Well in that case....would you like my job??? HAHAHAHA!! like I said, gotta do whatever it takes to keep everything at peace at work.

 

[Diesel]

What you all fail to see is Gulfstream 200 was born into his jet. While us meer mortals had to actually be instructed how to fly these things.

He must have saved a bunch of time.

I've washed planes, done 100hours, flown all day and replaced a jug on the ramp in HPN, been stuck in the woods in a float plane waiting for someone to come and get me, washed the plane inbetween charters.

See when it's a small shop 3 people everyone has to pitch in. You break it you fixed it. We'd all grab a pizza and everybody would pitch in.

Of course if you were lucky to get that falcon/gulfstream job while walking down the street with no prior flight time. Damn I guess you're just lucky.

peee esss- Some of my best memories are at the end of the day in the mountains at the airport we watched the sun go down. All of us coming home one by one. Helping out fueling the planes for the am start, putting them back in the hangers and the bosses wife brining up pizza for all of us while she waited with us for him to return.

One day he never returned. But the memories are still there. Not to proud to say i've washed planes, wiped gear doors down, and burned my hand on exhaust stacks.

 

[Flybet3]

What you all fail to see is Gulfstream 200 was born into his jet. While us meer mortals had to actually be instructed how to fly these things.

He must have saved a bunch of time.

I've washed planes, done 100hours, flown all day and replaced a jug on the ramp in HPN, been stuck in the woods in a float plane waiting for someone to come and get me, washed the plane inbetween charters.

See when it's a small shop 3 people everyone has to pitch in. You break it you fixed it. We'd all grab a pizza and everybody would pitch in.

Of course if you were lucky to get that falcon/gulfstream job while walking down the street with no prior flight time. dang I guess you're just lucky.

Dang Diesel.....you sound upset. Did you just get done wiping down the struts. Are you serious G200? you've never heard of FOs cleaning landing gear struts?

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Dang Diesel.....you sound upset. Did you just get done wiping down the struts. Are you serious G200? you've never heard of FOs cleaning landing gear struts?

never once....and I have flown the rattiest charter/medevac kingairs, lears...etc...

WHY the hell would you wipe down struts? this is another stupid old wives club ritual of abused charter pilots or something? O-rings my ass. they will be fine until mx can clean them.

Is somebody out there stupid enough to think this saves strut seals? ya see, we have these guys called "Mechanics" who take care of the struts. They do complate pre and post flight inspections, no?

me thinks its abusive charter BS passed on to yet another generation.

I chose to just say NO to that $hit. You wipe em chief...I'll be holding down the recliner snoozing and dreaming of my next better job as this one awoke me at 0130 to jet a organ someplace....ya see... these "strut wipers" gave me a lot of motivation to move up and out. thanks guys!

"born into it"...diesel if you only knew!

 

[Blackjet]

Well son after realizing that you have 700 hours let me ask you this. How much are they paying you? 24K...maybe. Do you realize that a king air 200 or C90 doesnt require a copilot? at 700 hours that's all you really are my boy....a radio operator, checklist reader airplane housemaid. I know a couple of young kids that right seat in king airs and pilatus and well at 500 hours that's all that they are actually qualified to do....so dont feel too proud now.

I'm trying to figure out why it was necessary to post something so classless.

The kid has 700 hours. He is flying a KA. That's not too bad. Who of us had a full time P91 job flying turbine equipment at 700 hours? There is a noticable difference in his attitude and your airline attitude. Are you sure you are in the right place?

No, the aircraft does not require 2 pilots, but what to say the company policies do not?

Finally, it gets worse than this. There is an operator in FL that has the pilots come in on the days they don't fly and prepare the fruit catering trays. They say it saves them $. Who has the better deal?

 

[Diesel]

You are actually supposed to wipe down the struts with a rag dipped in hydraulic oil. It keeps the struts clean so you keep the dirt out of the orings. Supposed to lengthen the life of the strut. Mechanics know about it.

I'm not mad just amazed at G200's "born into it" attitude.

PS we had a policy you broke it you fixed it. Kept mx down to minimum. I can't tell you how many nights I spent fixing planes.

 

[Flybet3]

never once....and I have flown the rattiest charter/medevac kingairs, lears...etc...

WHY the hell would you wipe down struts? this is another stupid old wives club ritual of abused charter pilots or something?

Is somebody out there stupid enough to think this saves strut seals? ya see, we have these guys called "Mechanics" who take care of the struts.

me thinks its abusive charter BS passed on to another generation.

I chose to just say NO to that $hit. You wipe em chief...I'll be holding down the recliner snoozing and dreaming of my next better job as this one awoke me at 0130 to jet a organ someplace....

"born into it"...diesel if you only knew!

Well you know, not only crappy operators do it...as a matter of fact I have friends that fly for 135 operators (24/7 on the road all the time type) and they never do it....I actually did contracting for a pretty crummy 135 op out of FL and never did I do that. It wasnt actually until my present job that I learned about the "issue".

 

[Gulfstream 200]

You are actually supposed to wipe down the struts with a rag dipped in hydraulic oil. It keeps the struts clean so you keep the dirt out of the orings. Supposed to lengthen the life of the strut. Mechanics know about it.

I'm not mad just amazed at G200's "born into it" attitude.

so you roll up the sleeves, dip a rag in hydraulic oil and wipe down the struts huh? must look, smell good in your uniform/suit?

yes mechanics do know about this, I bet ours do it every flight as Im finishing my paperwork or resting after safely FLYING the plane home.

If thats "born into it" - call me GUILTY!