Livery on the skids

[CLTBWIDAYSYR]

I realize that we are in BK, but for God''s sake, can we not get a decent paint repair on the fuselage of a plane? Flew a 757 yesterday that was missing most of the [EM][STRONG]I[/STRONG][/EM] in Airways and the paint around it was several different shades of blue. The area under the tail (sorry, don''t know what it''s called) was void of paint entirely. Am I the only one to think that customers look out of the window of the airport and when they see that we can''t match paint colors or make sure our logo is actually [EM][STRONG]ON[/STRONG][/EM] the aircraft, wonder how bad must the rest of the maintainence be on the plane?! How crappy do they have to look before someone says, Off line...to the paint shop? Am I alone on this one?

 

[USAirBoyA330]

As I recall all painting stopped right after the United merger was announced. It might have resumed but I am not sure. Also, I remember hearing something about U in a dispute with the paint supplier because it was peeling before the warranty? Maybe someone remembers this as well?

 

[DrupyUSE]

I agree. I think that at a time when passenger loyalty is at a premium and travelers are shopping around for the best carrier, providing a professional and [EM]classy[/EM] image can go a long way.

 

[wings396]

Then we still have all of the old paint jobs sporting the US AIR name on them..I can understand not painting the a/c, but what would it take to make the name correct, after all the years that have passed since we became the Airways..I always got a laugh when our mgr. and some of the upper mgmt. people made a big issue about our uniforms having the correct name and logo on them..and in the meantime we had flying billboards with US AIR all over them...but I guess nobody sees the a/c, only my shirt on the ramp.

 

[Philjr]

[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE]99 Percent of a/c looking great passing by our windows in sunny warm TPA heading for the hanger for wash and wax job.Waiting for a new shades of blue?[BR]----------------[BR]On 10/10/2002 903 AM CLTBWIDAYSYR wrote:
[P]I realize that we are in BK, but for God's sake, can we not get a decent paint repair on the fuselage of a plane?  Flew a 757 yesterday that was missing most of the [EM][STRONG]I[/STRONG][/EM] in Airways and the paint around it was several different shades of blue.  The area under the tail (sorry, don't know what it's called) was void of paint entirely.  Am I the only one to think that customers look out of the window of the airport and when they see that we can't match paint colors or make sure our logo is actually [EM][STRONG]ON[/STRONG][/EM] the aircraft, wonder how bad must the rest of the maintainence be on the plane?!  How crappy do they have to look before someone says, Off line...to the paint shop?  Am I alone on this one?  [/P]----------------[/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P][/P]

 

[wings396]

Well in TPA you must have mainly Airbus a/c in and out of there...but the 737-300/400 and 757 fleet look like trash..many of the 737 have paint peeling off worse than a cheap Macco piant job..and then there are the tarnished ones that have no paint and the wrong name on them.

 

[AOG-N-IT]

The aftermarket paint problems on the B737's, B757's and B767's are well noted. The paint company has made some strides on correcting these problems during scheduled heavy maintenance in CLT in the past. This because of the scope of the job and enviromental issues is mearly Touch-Up work. I have spoken to some of the painters in the past. Most were out of the LAX area..where the company itself cannot afford to do the work in thier own state because of California's enviromental rules. The Airbus paint jobs from the factory seem to be holding up pretty well...minus some Sun-Fade and wear from the padding of the jetways making contact around the L1 Door all the time. I would have to conclude..that due to our need for the quick return of our aircraft during this timeframe in question , that Surface-prep prior to applying the new paint was shorted to a strong degree. The U-Blue is also very prone to fade. How many dark blue cars in the past , have you noticed that were turning almost purple?...or falling victim to oxidization? This may not be so much the case with newer cars , thanks to advanced paint application technology and clear-coat protection..but it sure applies in our aircrafts case. Hopefully time and funding will become available to correct our blimishes , to a very Regal Look During my days with USExpress , I noted exactly the same situation , up to and including dirt being painted over...and it's much easier to detetct flaws on a smaller type aircraft. In somes cases we were seeing paint peeling from the noses within two weeks time. The Red and White Cheat Lines that seperated the Blue top from the Grey bottoms were also never consistant/uniform in location. We also noted numerous cases of Emergency and Rescue ( Cut-Here) Placards being applied in improper locations. This is yet another example where Sub-Contracting does not give you all the bang for the buck that we desire. Face it...They could care less...it's just a job to them. Pride and attention to detail do not begin to enter the picture.

 

[Hello Newman]

How many airports are missing signage?

 

[CLTBWIDAYSYR]

 

[CLTBWIDAYSYR]

 

[CLTBWIDAYSYR]

[P]I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong when I try and post here...I'll try again.[/P]
[P]AOG, What does Northwest do that we can't? As an owner of a red car, I can tell you how fast red oxydizes, yet those NWA red-tails and tops always look like they were painted yesterday. [/P]
[P] [/P]

 

[CLTCS4NOW]

ITS A MONEY ISSUE BUT ITS ALSO A PART OF THE USAIRWAYS IMAGE THAT OUR CUSTOMERS SEE EVEN WITH THE FACT THAT OUR PLANES ARE SAFE IT DOES MAKE OUR PLANES LOOK RUN DOWN AND UNSAFE TO THE PAX

 

[AOG-N-IT]

CLTBWIDAYSYR , My only guess regarding the NW Red Tops avoiding being powdery Pink Tops is the frequency of which they are repainted..or Dry Waxed. The quality of the paint and the quality of the surface prep work prior to re-painting also play a big factor in long turn adhesion and wear too. I have worked with a number of folks in the past at USExpress , that later migrated north to MSP ..and some south to ATL to work with NW. All had nothing but good things to say about thier appearance and corrosion prevention programs. Again, I do not fault USAirways methods...but I do turn a hard eye toward the sub-contractors doing the work on the B737's, B757's and the B767's. The noteable difference between the way a factory fresh Airbi's paint is holding up Vs. the paint on the sub-contracted Boeings is very stark in contrast. The only thing I can logically conclude is the limiting factors I have already mentioned regarding The Quality of the products applied..and the quality of the prep-work by those doing the application. Your views on NW holding up well are most valid...bit if I were to sight a classic example of cleanliness and a constantly professional appearance My knod would go to UPS!! UPS uses from what I'm told on the very best Emron Paints...This is true of both thier wheeled vehicle fleet..and thier aircraft. I have never noticed a dirty UPS Truck...and certainly not a faded or dirty aircraft. Sure the lessor degree of utilization plays a big factor in this...but so does The Initial Investment in Quality. USAirways in my opinion , tends to focus only on the Initial Cost of things...I'm of completely a different mindset. I would rather pay more once for quality...rather than pay twice for something sub-par. My methods would not only look better..last longer..but it would completely avoid the un-neccesary pain of the Out of Service time for re-peating a process much sooner. Sadly, These choices are not mine to make...but thankfully they aren't mine to make either!!...I would sure hate to have people running me down or second guessing my methods on the internet...or in the breakroom.