The Up-And-Coming Airline
9
In
737s: all bodies now widebodies
Installing electrical wiresJor new avion
ics components in the cockpit are Line
Avionics technicians Larry Howell and
Elwyn White.
u
John Wiley. Maintenance cleaner,
brushes out dust as well as other debris
from the wainscot panels.
Mark Richardson (left) and Donna
Bishop. Engineering, provide wiring
diagrams Jor aircraft electrical modifi
cations.
An aggressive modification pro
gram, begun three years ago to
update Piedmont’s 737 fleet, will
conclude this month when N736
receives a widebody interior and
facelift and is rolled out the hangar
door.
The modification program,
begun in June 1978, has involved
hundreds of employees and many
hours of work, and it's a program in
which employees, especially those
in Maintenance, have much satis
faction.
“Our employees are obviously
proud of it," George Reynolds, staff
vice president. Maintenance and
Engineering, said. "It has been an
aggressive program to present us
as ‘Up and Coming'. It has enabled
us to show ourselves in a more dig
nified manner — an image of a
first-class operation."
Planning for the modification
project began in Production and
Control.
"We, along with Engineering,
planned and produced a work
package — a roadmap for our
mechanics to follow — and, of
course, we had a lot of help from
our Boeing representative," said
Houston Symmes, Maintenance
Planning.
"We're the first airline to pur
chase Boeing's widebody kit and to
produce our own work package
program."
The 737 currently undergoing
modification is the 22nd and final
one to go through the widebody
program. This 737, purchased in
1968, has flown 32.649 hours and
has completed 50,345 takeoffs and
landings.
“After modification, this plane
will look as good as new again,"
Reynolds said.
“The average cost for the wide
body interior is $600,000 and takes
about 5,000 man-hours. Approxi
mately 11,000 additional hours are
spent on structural inspection,
repairs, and the paint job."
The new interiors have increased
the number of seats from 94 to 112
and added new canyall bins. The
result is a roomier and more com
fortable atmosphere for passengers.
On the exterior, the engines have
been upgraded and additional
thrust made possible by going from
JT8D-7 to -9.
The total time for the work has
averaged six weeks for each
aircraft.
The modification program has
included many support areas. The
aircraft had to be scheduled in and
parts routed. Avionics/Electrical
installed and connected all new wir
ing for the new interiors, and the
Paint Shop painted the exterior.
The Accessory Shop handled a wide
variety of tasks while fabric and
fiberglass were being replaced, and
sheet metal and structural repair,
completed.
All this was done to Improve the
quality of service Piedmont offers
its customers and to heighten the
Company’s image as a first-class
operation.
Passengers have taken notice.
For example, in one recent compli
mentary letter a passenger wrote, “I
personally could not help but mar
vel at the appearance of your air
craft, so clean and new."
Another said, “I have flown
mostly on your 737 aircraft. They
seem to have a roomier appearance
inside the cabin..." And, finally,
“Your planes were cleaner than
most airlines, your facilities just as
good."
Maintenance is completing the
widebody program this month, but
another ambitious undertaking is
In the works.
"In September, a structural
maintenance program will begin,"
Reynolds said. "We want to improve
the longevity of the fleet, to extend
the lifetime of each aircraft. We
want our planes to continue to be a
source of pride for both ourselves
and our passengers."
m
Making replacement
seal covers in the
Fabric Shop are (I tor)
Gene Pruitt. P.D. Falls.
Don Patterson. Bud
Davis, and Dwight
Long.
Stanley Vance (foreground) and David Christian. Paint Shop mechanics,
strip paintfrom around the windows which have been covered to avoid
contact with the stripping solution. Special care must be taken because the
solution can damage the plexiglass windows and rubber seals.
Removing
the old inte
rior of the
737 aircraft
are Line
Mainte
nance
mechanics
Robert
Burke (left)
and Gar
land Griggs
(foreground).
At right
David
Christian.
Sheet metal repairs in the flapwell area
ojthe wing are made by mechanics
Steve Guidry (foreground) and Vernon
(Buzz) Basham.
z
Repairing oJthe engine nose cowl is
done by Harold Wooten (left) and
Dewey Meadows, Sheet Metal
mechanics.
What does the widebody program
mean to our passengers?
“/ think it picks up our business,
makes us look more modem. It
gives passengers more oJ a feeling
of security."
Steve Guidiy
"It gives us a lot more room over
head. People seem to carry on
more luggage, and the new inte
riors provide more space.”
L.V. Brown
"It gives the perspective ojbeing
bigger inside. If your plane is clean
and shiny on the outside but worn
and rather dirty on the inside,
passengers get a bad impression. I
think passengers usually judge us
on two points — cleanliness and
friendliness. Both help to make
themfeel safe. ”
G.R Griggs