Missing bits
 

A friend was on a flight, and spotted this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58125090@N00/3246548485/http://www.flickr.com/photos/58125090@N00/3246548485/

(DSC00984 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58125090@N00/3246548485/http://www.flickr.com/photos/58125090@N00/3246548485/
The missing fairing worried him a bit, so he queried it with the cabin crew who said the flight deck were aware, and unworried.

Fair enough, but I was curious. I presume that the fairing would need to be signed off by an engineer. Are there some bits that it's perfectly OK to fly without?

Cheers

There is an MEL - Minimum Equipment List and a CDL - Configuration Deviation List for each type of A/C, it provides specific information on what part/parts the A/C is allowed to fly without.

The flap track fairing you see missing comes under the CDL, it would have a restriction that it must be replaced within 'X' amount of days and while flying without it you must apply various performance penalties including an increase in fuel burn, in this case to the increased drag.

SMOC

Many thanks. I'll pass it on to him.