11-14-2012
06:25 PM
347 Loves
The Maintenance & Engineering Department has many divisions, including specialized Teams responsible for maintaining certain parts of the airplane. These Teams work in what is called a "shop." Examples of this are the Engine Shop, the Coffee Shop, and today we take an in-depth look at the workings of the Slide Shop.The six Employees in the Slide shop, all AMTs-, Aircruiser- and Goodrich-certified, are responsible for repairing, inspecting, and packing the Emergency Slides housed inside the doors of our aircraft. Currently, Southwest has two brands of slides: Aircruiser and Goodrich. Although they differ in price and some minor maintenance procedures, the slides follow the same general maintenance routine. When a slide arrives in the "shop" it follows a multi-step process, captured in the attached time-lapse video. Slides younger than 15 years visit the "shop" for inspection every three years. Slides older than 15 years are tested every year. First, the slide is "flat-fired," or expanded. Then it is "over-pressured," where AMTs inflate the slide with 4.8 pounds of air pressure—more than double its regular capacity. In order for the slide to pass inspection, it must hold this pressure for anywhere from five to 15 minutes. After checking the relief valve, the slide is allowed to stabilize, or rest, for an hour. Then the real test begins. Each slide must sit inflated with the regulation two pounds of air pressure for two to four hours (depending on the brand). When assessing whether a slide has passed or failed, AMTs use a formula that considers several variables, including ambient temperature and barometric pressure. When the slide passes inspection, the folding and packing begins. The deflated, folded slide is packed into the boxes (called valises) that are in aircraft doors. Then, depending on the brand, it is either attached to a high powered vacuum called a "suck box" for an hour or baked in a convection oven at 125 degrees for twelve hours to compact it by removing all the air from the slide. This part of the process reminds me of packing for a long trip when one would use industrial strength Space Bags. Once all the air is removed from the slide, the hour-long process of folding begins. Once folded and inside the valise, a pin is inserted to prevent the slide from expanding. During installation, an AMT must remove the pin and complete the installation process within 30 minutes or the slide will begin to fill with air and expand outside of its valise. If that time period is exceeded, the slide returns to the shop for re-packing. Many thanks to James S., Jerry W., and the entire slide shop Team in DAL for their expertise. Together, the six AMTs in the DAL Slide Shop have more than 130 years experience in aircraft maintenance.
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Wish they had this when I was 11! Is this only in cities SWA serves or do they go to a city within a distance of a Southwest city?
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Hannah thoroughly enjoyed her AAP experience. For her it was not only a fun experience, but one that taught Hannah that extra effort really does make a difference and a belief that goals are attainable. Way to go Hannah! I'm a proud Mamma!
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They say everything comes alive in the spring—and that is true for the Adopt-A-Pilot (AAP) program, as well. During the spring months, Southwest Airlines Pilots go into classrooms across the country and inspire students to help them identify and plan to achieve their highest aspirations. The time these Pilots spend in classrooms is a real contribution to the communities. Often, adopted Pilots are among the few outside role models with whom students interact during their school year. I have the privilege of receiving the feedback about the great contributions our Pilots make. Nearly every day during the spring, letters and e-mails saluting the dedication and professionalism of adopted Pilots cross my desk. As I was preparing a blog for National Volunteer Week, an e-mail came my way from Desert Harbor Elementary School informing Southwest that one of our Pilots, Captain Tom Grosshans, was selected as one of the Volunteers of the Year for Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) in Peoria, Arizona. Captain Tom was nominated for this honor by the fifth grade teacher who has worked with him through AAP for the past six years. “Tom brings an amazing gift of high-interest learning to our classroom. (He brings) opportunities for students to talk about career choices and dreams for their future as well as emphasizing how important education and training are to reach those goals….Captain Tom is a true treasure. We appreciate his time, energy, enthusiasm, laughter and love for teaching children. His consistent reminder to our students that future career dreams are possible through education, training, goal setting and perseverance is truly inspirational.” As a result of this nomination, Captain Tom will be recognized today by the PUSD Governing Board for his outstanding contribution to the school district. Southwest Employees are consistently recognized for their outstanding contributions to our communities. No doubt, Tom is an extraordinary volunteer who has made a positive impact on students. But the truth is -- Southwest Airlines has many volunteers who are recognized within their communities for their outstanding service -- this is just the most recent great volunteer story that came across my desk before National Volunteer Week!
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