How Long Do Airplanes Last?–Factors Affecting Their Lifespan
Conventional wisdom says that, on average, airplanes are operable for 30 years before they lose their airworthiness. But the truth is, there are no clear-cut answers because their lifespan depends on a myriad of factors, including their maintenance, their intrinsic design, and how they are being used. Are Older Planes Less Safe? Contrary to popular belief, the aircraft's chronological age is not the most important factor determining its lifespan. Instead, the airline industry uses "pressurization cycles" to establish its airworthiness. Pressurization cycles refer to the amount of time that a plane is kept under pressure during flight, which over time ...
Self-Flying Cessna Plane Could Be the Future of Cargo Carriers
In February 2021, a self-flying Cessna completed a fully automated gate-to-gate flight at an airport in Concord, California, just outside San Francisco. While there was a pilot inside the utility aircraft, he didn't touch even a single control and only watched over the systems and talked with the air traffic controller. Start-up company Xwing has retrofitted a Cessna Grand Caravan 208B with a program that allows it to fly autonomously, with a remote operator monitoring the flight and only taking control if needed. During the flight test, Xwing's control center closely watched critical data, ranging from the plane's altitude, speed, location, ...
Planning On Buying A Used Aircraft? Things To Keep In Mind.
One of the most obvious advantages of buying a used aircraft is the significantly lower price compared to its brand new counterpart. However, another lesser-known benefit is that a well-maintained used plane has a proven track record (FYI, factory-fresh planes are not always more reliable than well-maintained pre-owned ones). What is the most important thing when buying a used aircraft? Always perform an in-depth pre-purchase inspection because it reveals potential flaws that may cause thousands of dollars to repair. Also, knowing the "real" condition of the aircraft allows you to renegotiate its price, taking into account the repair and ...