Page four
September, 1979
Don Newsome uses a plain but proven mop and
special soap to wash the bottom of a 727 wing.
Exterior washing is the first step in the aircraft
cleaning procedure.
Polish, Scotch-Brite pads and buffers need the
elbow grease of Brad Owen and Max Phillips
to produce a satisfactory shine.
Spring cleaning goes
on and on and on
Piedmont’s planes are flying with brighter,
shinier faces these days. Employees and cus
tomers alike have expressed delight with the
glossy new look of the fleet.
A maintenance crew of washing and polishing
specialists was formed in April of this year to
organize and carry out a cleaning program for
the Company’s planes. The program, rather
than a new' miracle product, gets the credit for
the much-improved appearance of our aircraft.
Under the direction of A1 Lundy, foreman-
fleet service, nine new cleaners initially tackled
the mammoth cleaning task that knows no
season.
The crew’s primary duties are exterior polish
ing and washing. With the time-proven meticu
lous mop and bucket approach, it takes two
hours to wash the outside of a 727. The polish
ing, using pneumatic buff'ers, takes longer,
about a week.
Not only is a clean airplane more attractive
to look at and ride in, it is more eff'icient to
operate. The smoothness of the exterior after
polishing enables the pilot to maintain cruising
speed at a lower power setting, thus saving fuel.
Interior cleaning also produces some rather
startling benefits beyond the aesthetics. Re
cently, four pounds and ten ounces of dirt was
removed in cleaning the interior of a 727 from
cockpit to rear bulkhead. If w'e could eliminate
the weight of the dirt and add just one pound
of cargo per departure every month, it would
generate an additional $3,100 per month in
revenues.
Clean planes require a lot of care. That care
is measurably pertinent to Piedmont’s profit.
(Photos by Ken Pruitt and Ronnie Macklin.)
ti
ti
No aluminum alloy surface goes unshined, in
cluding the center engine nose cowl which
Brad Owen and Don Newsom are buffing in
this photo.
Dave Beckerman's polishing produces a spark
ling reflection and leaves no dishpan hands or
lemon-fresh smell.
Men who’ve literally taken a shine to their work are Steve Masencup and
Steve Shelton, shown here using the pneumatic buffers.
t
€
Bill Fletcher finds that cleaning an airplane is not unlike polishing ornate
silver. Many intricate surfaces must be done by hand.
Congratulations
35 Years
E. L. Headen—Inspector, INT
30 Years
V, T. Dotson—Customer Service
Manager, BNA
W. M. Foster—Agent, LYH
J. C, Newell—Special Sales
Representative, CLT
C. E. Saylor—Foreman, INT
V'. L. Widener—Assistant Manager-
Prop Service, INT-FB
25 Years
R. M. Voss—Mechanic, INT
J. L. Flowers—Technician, INT-FB
F, 0. Wyckoff—Mechanic, INT
L, G. Redden, Jr.—Senior Supervisor,
ORF
20 Years
R. W. White—Stock Clerk, INT
D. D. Meadows—Mechanic, INT
W. M. Shelton—Stock Clerk, INT
G. A. Burton—Mechanic, DCA
L. M, Swindell—Technician, ORF-FB
J, B. Catlin—Junior Clerk, INT-FB
B. D. Lance—Mechanic, INT
15 Years
J, C. Futrelle—Flight Attendant, ILM
K. H. Nunn—Senior Res Agent, CRO
F. R. Moss—Line Chief, ORF-FB
10 Years
R, S. High—Agent, ROA
W. H, Waddell—Mechanic, INT
L. B. Wilson—Secretary, INT
S. I. Hatchell—Agent, FLO
T. F. Wintz—Agent, OAJ
J. E Parman—Agent, CVG
M. F. McFadden—Agent, ROA
J. C. Vipperman—District Sales
Manager, BOS
R. J. Bilskie—First Officer, ATL
R. M. Carter—First Officer, ILM
W. I. Craig—Captain, INT
H. Damron—First Offcer, ATL
J. J. Dean—First Officer, INT
S. E. Dotson—First Officer, INT
K, P. Duncan—Captain, INT
B. G. Downing—Captain, INT
R. L. Flenniken—Captain, ATL
R. W. Goodrum—First Officer, ATL
T. C. Hutchins—Captain, ATL
D. H McGregor—Captain, ATL
R. L. Merritt—Captain, INT
W. L. Murphree—First Officer, ATL
W. R^ Odell—First Officer, INT
J H. Stanley—First Officer, ORF
J. P. Wallace—Captain, ROA
D. N. Landreth—Data ISntry
Operator, INT
N. B. Still—Technician, INT-FB
B. W. Miller—Mechanic, MEM
E. G. Gilliam—Agent, RDU
L. L. Barton—Agent, ROA
H. D. Reed—Agent, ATL
F. A. Bouska—Agent, ORF
J. R. Ferguson, Jr.—Agent, OAJ
R. S. Redden—Agent, ROA
R. D. Faircloth—Agent, BNA
H. L. Mickle, Jr.—Agent, RDU
M. A. Marino—Agent, CHS
R. W. Spainhour—Senior Res Agent,
CRO
S. A. Maise—Agent, RDU
G. W. Polisano—Lead Mechanic, LGA
D. R. Bradshaw—Utility Service, ILM
H. W. Padgett, Jr.—Mechanic, ATL
G. G. Huguley—Avionics Technician,
ROA
M. E. Wagner—Lead Data Entry
Operator, INT
J. Durfee—Simulator Technician
Engineer, INT
J. Miller, Jr.—Assistant
Dispatcher, INT
L. W. Carpenter—Agent, CLT
G A. Motsinger—^Mechanic, INT
5 Years
H. M. Kinlaw—Agent, FAY
B. W. Shore—General Clerk, INT
B. P. Hollis—Agent, DCA
P A. Dorsey—First Officer, ATL
F. E. Fennell—Fleet Service, ILM
A. 0. Anderson—Technician, INT
L R. Sutphin, Sr.—Technician,
INT-FB
C. L. Tucker—Agent, CRO
Around the system
Transfers
N. E. Hase, GSO to MYR
D. M. Trobaugh, ROA to MIA
V. B. Digirolamo, INT to ORF
J M. Truell, INT to CLT
S. I. Grady, ISO to RDU
B. J. Goddard, ATL to INT
M. C. France, Jr., ROA to ORF