Cockpit Cleaning ?
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Cockpit Cleaning ?
Might sound like a strange question but I was just wondering how a cockpit is properly cleaned. With aircraft in the air for 18 hours a day or so, crew changes and crews eating up there it must get pretty grubby over time.
Presumably a special kind of cleaning technique is required so as not to inadvertently put a switch into the wrong position ?
Just something I am curious about.
Presumably a special kind of cleaning technique is required so as not to inadvertently put a switch into the wrong position ?
Just something I am curious about.
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I worked at Aer Lingus in Dublin in the late 90's for a couple of summers cleaning aircraft.
Back then, it was fairly straight forward. Cleaning team were given a number of planes to handle a day, we went out in a truck to the aircraft and were assigned areas. Generally the person doing the vaccuming was sent in to the cockpit at the end to give it a once over.
If the crew wanted - quick vaccum around the floor - empty the small bins, take out coffee cups/newspapers etc.
Generally if the captain was in his seat, we would just ask him if there is anything he wanted doing.
Occasionally he would vacate the seat and give us the perilous (in hindsight) job of hanging out the window to clean bugs off the windscreen...
Longhaul jets - we had 3 hours to clean them, so the cockpit was given a more thorugh job.
No special equipment as such - rule was don't touch anything. Remember enjoying loghaul cockpit cleaning duties as it mean I didn't keep bashing my head off the overhead panel! Also if I recall a lot of those A330's were pretty new, and even had a new plane smell!
I think in EI anyway - about once a month the aircraft went into hangers for what they called a 'deep clean'. Where carpets were washed and seat lifted etc - I'm sure the same applied to the pointy end, but never worked on that as I was not in the night crew....
Back then, it was fairly straight forward. Cleaning team were given a number of planes to handle a day, we went out in a truck to the aircraft and were assigned areas. Generally the person doing the vaccuming was sent in to the cockpit at the end to give it a once over.
If the crew wanted - quick vaccum around the floor - empty the small bins, take out coffee cups/newspapers etc.
Generally if the captain was in his seat, we would just ask him if there is anything he wanted doing.
Occasionally he would vacate the seat and give us the perilous (in hindsight) job of hanging out the window to clean bugs off the windscreen...
Longhaul jets - we had 3 hours to clean them, so the cockpit was given a more thorugh job.
No special equipment as such - rule was don't touch anything. Remember enjoying loghaul cockpit cleaning duties as it mean I didn't keep bashing my head off the overhead panel! Also if I recall a lot of those A330's were pretty new, and even had a new plane smell!
I think in EI anyway - about once a month the aircraft went into hangers for what they called a 'deep clean'. Where carpets were washed and seat lifted etc - I'm sure the same applied to the pointy end, but never worked on that as I was not in the night crew....
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Brief summary
Windows = B1 engineers (involves getting cold....)
Panels and screens = B2 engineers (warm and plenty of places to put their cups of tea)
Floors = cleaning company
You ain't seen me right..............................
Panels and screens = B2 engineers (warm and plenty of places to put their cups of tea)
Floors = cleaning company
You ain't seen me right..............................
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The major airline I work for just doesn't, we often work in conditions best described as squalid. Flight deck floor is sometimes wiped carelessly by cleaners. Engineers are supposed to clean the panels and other surfaces but don't. Dust and food debris lies all over the panels and in mats half an inch thick under the pedals, dust obscures the screens. Revolting but there seems to be no regulation as there would be in an office for hygiene and cleanliness. Engineering gets stroppy if it is put in the tech log. And the company couldn't care less. Nice!
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Most of the charter airlines in UK have flight decks cleaned once a week, to remove any loose items, including half a sandwich on the floor near the afore mentioned rudder panels. All consoles are hovered to remove any debris in between switches roof mounted instrmentation is also hovered to remove any build up of dust and detritus all dials/electronic screens are polished to remove all of those finger marks. One thing that interests me, is it that boring/terrifying being a pilot? as the number of bitten off finger nails appears to suggest it is
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Very interesting and varied replies. Sounds like quite a broad range of standards out there. It must be pretty awful working in a dirty cockpit. I guess it's like any workplace. Some people are tidy, some leave a mess behind them.
"
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I often see crews wiping controls and screens with anti-sceptic wipes! 
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Engineers are supposed to clean the panels and other surfaces but don't. Dust and food debris lies all over the panels and in mats half an inch thick under the pedals, dust obscures the screens. Revolting but there seems to be no regulation as there would be in an office for hygiene and cleanliness. Engineering gets stroppy if it is put in the tech log. And the company couldn't care less. Nice!
Personal experience after a flight that should not have been flown (safety issue) PDIS "debris behind rudder pedals" CA "removed 2 each sugar packages and creamers", divert your concerns elsewhere. A professional pilot should have minimal housekeeping skills.
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If its anything like it used to be in my day you would not believe the pigsty some crews used the leave the flight deck in
HAHA, a friend of mine found a pair of panties at the bottom of the yoke! On a freighter...?
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At Biggin Hill - years ago - one particul clubs training a/c were rarely cleaned (the clubs initials were S L A C) in that it would not be an exageration to say that when stepping out of the a/c you may have needed to wipe your shoes.
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Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
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I think it is the pilots responsibility to keep the place as clean as they can, within reason, vacuum cleaners are not normally supplied or part of cockpit equipment so the best we can do is clear away all loose rubbish etc. and take the plastic bag, that hangs off the back of the console etc., with us to give to the cleaners, or left in an obvious place, like a toilet, if they are not yet on board.
In one airline I worked for one particular captain carried a soft haired paint brush and did a good job on the console during the turn round. Same airline, we lent a B737-200 to Aer Lingus, when it came back in time for our sumer season the radar had to be removed only to reveal dozens of bug cards that had been 'posted' down the side, deliberate or otherwise!
In one airline I worked for one particular captain carried a soft haired paint brush and did a good job on the console during the turn round. Same airline, we lent a B737-200 to Aer Lingus, when it came back in time for our sumer season the radar had to be removed only to reveal dozens of bug cards that had been 'posted' down the side, deliberate or otherwise!
Our DC8's carried a long flexible hoover type tube which clipped into the periscopic sextant mount in the flight deck roof. The powerful suction made short shift of any housekeeping required before top of descent.
Mistrust in Management
Brakedwell
Twas tried on a BOAC VC10 many moons ago by an F/E who was keen on such inventiveness.
Sadly it all went wrong and the tube apparently turned itself inside out and then battered itself on the fuselage for the next few hours - only a few because the VC10 ran out fuel very quickly (because of the noise to endurance ratio designed into many great British designs such as the 1-11 and of course Concorde)
The Trident failed, despite having such poor endurance, because it just wasn't deafening enough. An attempt to rectify this was made with the T3 which was fitted with a fourth engine to increase the noise - partly successful, but then the wings started to fall off which even we Brits realised might result in a drop in orders.
We've given up all that stuff now. Apologies for the thread creep.
Regards
Exeng
Sadly it all went wrong and the tube apparently turned itself inside out and then battered itself on the fuselage for the next few hours - only a few because the VC10 ran out fuel very quickly (because of the noise to endurance ratio designed into many great British designs such as the 1-11 and of course Concorde)
The Trident failed, despite having such poor endurance, because it just wasn't deafening enough. An attempt to rectify this was made with the T3 which was fitted with a fourth engine to increase the noise - partly successful, but then the wings started to fall off which even we Brits realised might result in a drop in orders.
We've given up all that stuff now. Apologies for the thread creep.
Regards
Exeng
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Most pilots assume their must be a maid that cleans it, just like their hotel rooms, only they don't have to leave a tip!
Our crews get out the crew rest leaving their quilts and pillows as an unmade bed. The next crew are most put out that "the maid" hasn't left it ready for them
Moral of the story, leave it as you'd expect to find it.
Our crews get out the crew rest leaving their quilts and pillows as an unmade bed. The next crew are most put out that "the maid" hasn't left it ready for them
Moral of the story, leave it as you'd expect to find it.
Last edited by Flightmech; 10th Dec 2011 at 12:25.