I think our engineers have been reading this thread! I turned up for a Canaries a few days ago to find the engineer busily scrubbing the centre radio console - always the worst for being covered in food and debris.

I said it was very nice to see him taking the time to do it on a turnround and was told ( very lightheartedly) that they didn't want any adverse comments ending up on the internet! Was then thrown pack of wipes and told to do my own screens.:p

Nice to go for 8 hours with a shiny flightdeck and happy to do our share of cleaning whenever possible.

Would be nice if the cleaners were allowed to mop the floor on each turnround though, to get rid of the sticky spilled coffee which seems to last til the next check.

Your c0ckp1t is not filthy until you see roaches walking around.

After the company which hired me in the 80s was bought out/merged, the then brilliant CEO (who lost his "golden parachute" due to "alleged" kickbacks from Airbus, while ordering the first A-320s in North America ['Wall Street Journal']) laid off lots of aircraft cleaners. After seeing roaches in the galley, and on the back of a captain's coat as he walked out, past incoming passengers....a crewmember called the local health department.

The local health department said that the aircraft would be kept cleaner or the operation would be in deep trouble.

The cleaners were quickly recalled.

Nowadays, roaches might be an endangered species because of "reality tv" programs. You should see which various repulsive insects/animal body parts a young Belgian lady chewed or swallowed on a Belgian show: "Unreal TV"?. As a simple comparison, the other things made the maggots look quite appetizing. The looks on her and the other lady's face were priceless. This was on American tv a few nights ago.:yuk: .Smaklijke eten.:D

Aaagghh!...look mate...can you just run that past me again?

:{

Rant too nasty
 

I am back on my meds so every thing is just peachy. Now I just want to say NICE things about pilots.

>I am polite, even to the 1 in 100 pilots who is an A$$hole and thinks he is better than me.

************************************
As a graduate Test and Development Engineer, I learned that artisans (particularly welders) can teach you a lot about structural failures. 'Wally' (the Weld) could fabricate a bracket that he'd guarantee wouldn't break during an arduous rough track vehicle durability test (and frequently be viable for production). The designers, however, rarely took his advice . . .

'Filthy Flight decks
 

This topic brings to mind of a problem we had with our F50's in our fleet.
Underneath 1'st officers seat sits the DADC, coffee,tea,water the remnants of left in polistyrene cups and disposed in a carrier bag hung over the seat fore and aft adjust lever,had been known to escape through a hole in the bag.
On a few occasions we had DADC's going u/s,strip reports had suggested liquid contamination.This even went to a mod been drawn up by Fokker for a cover to be fitted over the DADC.
A rather expensive cost all due to the fact that you boys and girls,leaving your rubbish in the cockpit.Take it with you when you leave

NG708 said in part.....

"Would be nice if the cleaners were allowed to mop the floor on each turnround though, to get rid of the sticky spilled coffee which seems to last til the next check."

Aviate1138 observes....

Maybe it should be Mandatory for all potable liquids
in the most important, expensive, potentially dangerous area in the event of liquid spillage, that the said liquid is delivered in spillproof containers. Things we use to stop our kids spoiling the carpets etc.

Company Aircrew logo on the mug for 'Street Cred' and during turbulence and accidental displacement - no spills. Must be seriously cost effective surely? :)

Aviate1138

One area the engineers might take a little more responsibility for is by removing the sticky adhesive marks that normally get left after removal of an 'inop' sticker. The flight deck I was in yesterday had probably as many as 20 of these ugly patches.

Rubbing the marks off with toothpaste is the method white-ware dealers use -to good effect.

Would it be silly to suggest?
 

A very good reason for clean flight decks is the storm of crap that gets in your eyes/nose/mouth in a depressurisation or upset/ zero G?

Hi guys and girls,

Just a question for you professionals.

Do you think that airlines, or professional pilots alike would allow a private company to provide this type of service? I mean specialised cockpit cleaning services, not your normal vaccuuming and cleaning of a cabin but simply focusing on cleaning and addressing many of the issues that you have raised in this thread? As we are talking about being exposed to critical equipment that some may see as a danger I am interested to hear your thoughts.

An ex Ansett Australia captain friend of mine once made this very complaint to me probably back in 1997 when riding in the jumpseat of his plane and I am surprised to hear that it is still the case even in today's world. I guess it is all about cost cutting isn't it. Everyone gets shafted except for the shareholders and senior management. It seems ironic that airlines spend so much money on new aircraft yet ignore little details such as this.

Anyway I would appreciate any feedback you may have!

Thanks

I am currently working with an operator, whose cabin crew clean up after the pax have left, and you can guess who cleans the flight deck, the flight deck crew.
Perhaps the managers should remember as mentioned earlier, they expect there office space to be cleaned by contract cleaners so why not there aircraft?

Filthy Cockpits ???
 

You guys are joking right !??? All that filth in the cockpit...I mean guys get a life... I flew 8 years for a cargo Airline and whoever consumed whatever was responsible for cleaning up the mess.Also although an Engineer will invariably leave those greasy marks..it takes a bit of cleaning...but the kind of stuff described is revolting and obnoxious to say the least..

Cleaning for the cleaners
 

allthatglitters

Lets name names here. Virgin Blue requires it flight staff to clean up after the pax leave, in fact they ask pax to clean the cabin before thay leave.

I have found food stuffs on seats etc.

I hope this is not the case on the flight decks.

I once saw a tech log entry, "mouse seen in throttle pedistal." Written off, "Noted. Hangar cat being starved."

In the DC3 you simply opened the side windows. In the jumbo you rig up a hose to the sextant hole. Virtual aircraft such as airbus only have virtual pilots and therefore virtual dirt, so it doesn't matter.

But I'll say one thing for this thread - most of you seem to be aware of who took it in there.

If you want me to come clean your flightdeck feel free to give me a PM if you pass through Leeds, I might even bring one of my student lady-friends to "assist" :E

Horgy

That's one of the few cases that makes me happyfly my GA aircraft where ,if it's filty ,the only person I've to blame is...myself (the only copilot flying in it):E

Filthy Flight Decks
 

:cool:
Well the wonderful Airline I work for as a 'Lightbulb Tech' has very clean flight decks with very shiny screens. We try to borrow the hoovers from the cleaners('get off the lead!!') to pick up the crumbs/skin flakes so when the drivers arrive it makes them think we've actually done something. Was thinking that when my 6 lucky numbers came up on the lottery I'd start a company called 'Flightdecks R Us' employing 18 year old girls (properly trainned by me of course) to 'titivate' the pilots work places,any of you lot interested?

Finger Prints
 

Guys, what really annoys me is that most of my collegues have a facination about touching the windscreen, PFD and all the instruments glass. Most a/c's I have flow have an anti glare coating on these so when you touch them you have just left a big mark on it! Every day I have to get in a box to clean the glass. I wonder if all this cockpit cleaner that I am buying @ €16.00 can be given back on tax? I am not a neat fleak at home but when I'm in the car of my box I have to have it perfect!

Two countries where you can be guaranteed tip top FD shine.
China, six pretty girls get on with a multitude of cleaning instruments and materials. One does all the work while the others seem to be supervising (a bit of leg pulling) whilst chatting and gigglling at the same time. If it make them happy it makes me happy, especially when the one that has done all the work leaves the FD happy.

Uzbekistan - Big Bababoska arrives with witches broom, ash pan
and pocket full of supermarket carrier bags. She took pride in her job and the singing was beautiful, even though it was 3 am in the morning and I hadn't a clue what the song was about.

Filthy cockpits
 

Upon entering the cockpit a few years back, Captain noticed that the chap who flew the previous leg had left the tray with most of the remains of his lunch on his seat.

He placed it in a bag and deposited the entire contents (without the bag) in the responsible pilots mailbox.

I couldn't think of a more appropriate response!