Its a case of re-inventing the wheel and not looking at history.
A 100 years plus ago heavy industry went through all these hassels with plant and unplanned shut downs.
They started doing the fair fortnights. Glasgow still does it to a large extent and there are a few other ones around the country.
Basically all heavy industry shuts down for a fortnight. All the staff have a holiday apart from the maintence boys. Which is why its best to check when the Glasgow fair is because it doesn't matter where you go there will be some pissed up idiot in a rangers or celtic top.
All the big projects are completed all parts that are due in the next 6 months are swapped out early everyone is happy.
Now personally if I was relaying a runway, a year in advance I would tell everyone that the airport was going to be shut for 3 weeks. Tell the staff to book holidays for that date or get those training cources booked, book the contractors and materials with hefty penalty clauses. Portacabins to sleep in and on site catering, laundery. 2 weeks jobs done. 1 week for cockups and inspections rectification lighting etc. Public arn't pissed off, airline arn't pissed off. Jobs done. But then again I am an ex mech eng the bean counters wouldn't go for it. Its taken years for the oil industry to learn that sometimes the engineers actually know what they are talking about when it comes to project managment.
I have seen oil yards when the poo hits the fan turn round 50 million pounds worth of kit after one phone call and the whole thing is setup by an old boy with a ONC to his name in 10 mins
1. tell the boys they are on double time until it finishes
2. Book every artic you can get your hands on and start dumping trailers in the yard
3. Tell the butty van to park up in the corner.
4. If i see anyone without PSE on they will be cleaning the bog in the bothie.
And PAX boy the RAF to my knowledge are the only ones who shut down all flight ops to get things sorted Brize was the last one to my knowledge but that was shut for months not weeks
Last edited by mad_jock; 20th Jan 2009 at 11:55.