Some bits may be of interest if you're not going to ride for a year but more the complexities of parking a jumbo jet somewhere. Aviation isn't cheap.
Long term aircraft storage
- Thread starter nobbie48
- Start date
True that.
There's an old joke in the world of airplanes - How to add 1500% to the cost of anything: Add the words "for aviation use" to the description.
But in the case of these big planes, yes, there's a lot of things that do not handle sitting still very well.
Funny note: The reason you're seeing engines hastily covered with tarps and tape (as in the screenshot of the video) is because traditional engine covers were never really made in any large quantities for these sorts of commercial engines as they would never normally sit long enough that you'd need them - there was never really a scenario ever perceived that would cause this number of commercial jets to be all sitting for this long of a period of time. Birds LOVE to nest in turbine engines and other things like to make nests as well, and of course, that's a problem.
There's an old joke in the world of airplanes - How to add 1500% to the cost of anything: Add the words "for aviation use" to the description.
But in the case of these big planes, yes, there's a lot of things that do not handle sitting still very well.
Funny note: The reason you're seeing engines hastily covered with tarps and tape (as in the screenshot of the video) is because traditional engine covers were never really made in any large quantities for these sorts of commercial engines as they would never normally sit long enough that you'd need them - there was never really a scenario ever perceived that would cause this number of commercial jets to be all sitting for this long of a period of time. Birds LOVE to nest in turbine engines and other things like to make nests as well, and of course, that's a problem.
What's the magic grounded time before major service? IIRC, at some time without flight (60, 120, 180 days?) the plane needs an expensive inspection prior to flying again. Given the limited number of mechanics available if every plane in the world requires inspection and the excess number of pilots, I wonder if we will see these parking lots come alive as pilots take every plane for a spin to reset the clock. I'd say it would be a good time for new pilots to practice circuits in a passenger plane to build experience, but lets be honest, we are going to be grossly overstocked with pilots for the foreseeable future. I feel bad for those that were close to wrapping up their training.
I'm thinking of the number of hundred million dollar piles of depreciating money sitting there and you can't just spray the whole thing with WD-40 or Seafoam.
A boater friend has yet to hear from the marina where his boat is stored, what fees will be and the odds of getting in the water anytime soon. Normally preparation starts around now. Smaller piles of depreciating money suspended over water. In Ontario are you allowed to disturb a nest with eggs in it. Those idle boats are being eyed for nest sites.
AC is using planes in rotation, one week in the air, one week parked. Recertifying aircraft is expensive and when they are allowed back on line there will be a log jam to be checked.
My sailmaker , based in Hamilton, is making jet engine covers for the fleet parked in Hamilton. Its very lucative business, since nobody needs boat sails right now....
My sailmaker , based in Hamilton, is making jet engine covers for the fleet parked in Hamilton. Its very lucative business, since nobody needs boat sails right now....
Are there any bets on whether the boats are getting wet this year?
Is fishing cancelled or just where it could accumulate groups?
Douggie repeated the march break gaff and announced last weekend that fishing season was a go. Stupid idea. Boat launches are closed. River fishing has tons of people driving around the province and tripping over one another at the popular spots. I hope they realize the stupidity and delay the start. Probably a month to start.
Little boats are already in the water. Anyone with their own facilities to launch and moore/store aren't restricted by anything at this point.
Bigger boats like my sisters.....I suspect late May. I can't logically see how they'd continue to lock down clearly outdoor businesses like marinas. Yes, there will be stupid people who will not adhere to the social distancing thing, but that's going to happen everywhere moving forward....they can't continue to just tell any business with any risk exposure whatsoever (however tiny) that they're going to have to just stay closed for the rest of 2020, especially ones like Marinas where 95% of the time people spend there is either on their own private vessel, or in an outdoor space at worst, or sitting out in the water somewhere at best.
The marinas I've been to, for most of the residents, 95% of the time is spent on the dock posing beside the boat. Combine that with a gated entrance and little visibility from public property (unless the enforcement comes from the water) and you have a summer long close-contact party.
Yes, you can boat and keep your distance. The question is never where the line has to be for the smart and courteous people, the question is where does the line have to be drawn for the dumb and ignorant to protect them from themselves? I have no horse in the game and don't care either way.
I wish the government would stop trying to dictate by activity and make a clean line. Either the line is "do whatever you want and maintain at least six feet" or the line is "only necessary activities and maintain six feet". Picking and choosing by activity is idiotic and leads people to ignore the rules as they can point to 100 other activities with perceived higher risk than the one they want to do.
They can't keep everything closed forever.
Stadiums and other indoor places where there would normally be large gatherings, I get it.
95% of the rest of society is going to have to be relaxed.
Extra precautions will have to be taken in many places however - restaurants, etc. But a marina (and the million of other similar places) is going to have to be relaxed. If not, the situation you use as an example where people will just flaunt the rules because of perceived stupidity of the regulations (legitimate or otherwise) will become the norm. And tens of millions of businesses will become insolvent. Fast.
What needs to happen at this point is to say "OK, keep up with the social distancing thing, wear a mask when you need to be in closer contact out of necessity, no gatherings over 25 (or whatever number they come up with), and go forward. IF the numbers start to spike again then we can go backwards, but just staying locked down like this forever because of some assumption they will just isn't realistic. As I've said before...this isn't going away anytime soon. It WILL continue to spread. We just need to make it manageable for the hospitals via a "give and take" approach moving forward.
Stadiums and other indoor places where there would normally be large gatherings, I get it.
95% of the rest of society is going to have to be relaxed.
Extra precautions will have to be taken in many places however - restaurants, etc. But a marina (and the million of other similar places) is going to have to be relaxed. If not, the situation you use as an example where people will just flaunt the rules because of perceived stupidity of the regulations (legitimate or otherwise) will become the norm. And tens of millions of businesses will become insolvent. Fast.
What needs to happen at this point is to say "OK, keep up with the social distancing thing, wear a mask when you need to be in closer contact out of necessity, no gatherings over 25 (or whatever number they come up with), and go forward. IF the numbers start to spike again then we can go backwards, but just staying locked down like this forever because of some assumption they will just isn't realistic. As I've said before...this isn't going away anytime soon. It WILL continue to spread. We just need to make it manageable for the hospitals via a "give and take" approach moving forward.
Some of them are already doing that. If they are in a bad for the plane climate (like malaysia), they park a bunch in a good place (like central oz). There is still a big difference between not rusting away and meeting the regulatory requirements to be able to fly. Dumping them in the middle of nowhere means less access to mechanics and more trouble keeping them in rotation so they dont need a major recert because they were parked.
My big boat was scheduled for May4, but the marina where I park is Municipal and ALL parks are closed so the marina stays closed. We are keeping our YC docks closed per Provincial regulations. Then once the record high water hits in mid May nothing will get launched and a lot of ramps will be closed to small boats. I may get the big boat in by the end of July/ 1st week of August. Small boat may get thrown in with a crane in Hamilton once they open marinas
I have thousands tied up in docks/ storage/ "winter" parking. But it is what it is.
I support keeping marinas , Yacht clubs and ramps closed. It is physically impossible to social distance in any marina Ive ever been in.
Your problem is the "small" boat needs a crane
.That pretty much sums up the marina I was in. A three foot wide finger shared by two boats.
If you wanted to get away from the dock there was usually a nearby beach or sandbar that would be a congregating place and a lot of people wouldn't be a fishing pole apart.
Another thing is that if an area gets noisy you have to stand closer together to talk. Try talking to someone at a bar when they're six feet away. Lip read?
Lets not paint everything with the same brush.
This is the marina my sister and BIL moor their boat at. (Drone photo by me)
Their 35 footer is in one of the open slips on the top right side.
It's not a tiny marina, but it's not a massive marina either. Most residents of this marina are fishing boats that don't sit in their slip for party time, although I DO get that some Marinas are like that - they were previously moored at Peterborough marina.
All that said, there's going to have be some faith that people will not be stupid. Some will, sure. But they're going to be stupid anyways in the end no matter how restricted things are as the spring and summer roll on.
But many will continue to do exactly like we've been doing the last 4 weeks - social distance. There's nothing inherently impossible that makes that impossible at many smaller marinas like this....unless again, you're painting them all with the same brush.
The common area arguments (shore power plugs, bathrooms, etc) are a potential problem, sure...but honestly. Wash. Your. Hands.
It's not hard.
We can't sit inside for the next 12-24 months cowering in fear over this. We are going to have to live our lives knowing it's out there, but also having a pretty damn good idea HOW to avoid it right now.
Social distance.
Wash your hands.
If you're sick, stay home.
Treat everyone like they're covid positive.
It's not rocket science.
It's not hard.
We can't sit inside for the next 12-24 months cowering in fear over this. We are going to have to live our lives knowing it's out there, but also having a pretty damn good idea HOW to avoid it right now.
Social distance.
Wash your hands.
If you're sick, stay home.
Treat everyone like they're covid positive.
It's not rocket science.
I love those covered slips, if I get a sailboat with a telescopic mast thats my next parking spot. No sun baked canvas.
Half our harbor is mediterrainian docking , bow in climb over the front, no finger docks, no power or water supply.
But how do you tell a marina operator your ok to open, but hey guy next lake over , not you. Its maybe not fair, but how it needs to be right now.
Its a really slippery slope.
Half our harbor is mediterrainian docking , bow in climb over the front, no finger docks, no power or water supply.
But how do you tell a marina operator your ok to open, but hey guy next lake over , not you. Its maybe not fair, but how it needs to be right now.
Its a really slippery slope.
We're going to just have to trust that the 80% of the population that aren't stupid and are taking this seriously will continue to do so...knowing right well that if they screw this up the privilege may go away again if we have to go back into lockdown.
The 20% of idiots? Well, quite a few of the 80% will ostracise them and tell them to get with the program.
And a certain percentage...there's no hope for them. But be it the Marina or somewhere else, the stupid people are going to be stupid.
The 20% of idiots? Well, quite a few of the 80% will ostracise them and tell them to get with the program.
And a certain percentage...there's no hope for them. But be it the Marina or somewhere else, the stupid people are going to be stupid.
