Nose Gear Low Extension

I was in Seoul, Korea from 9 Feb to 15 Feb 07, upon arrival in Incheon Airport during my walkaround check found nose gear strut with very low extension. Only 1 inch of the chrome part visible. Since tired of long 11 hours flight from Riyadh to Seoul i decided to return back to aircraft after few days.

On 12 Feb, I've made arrangement with Korea Business Airport Service (KBAS) representative, our ground handler for me to visit the aircraft to check the aircraft condition before our departure on 15th. This is a norm in VIP service as we don't want any surprise on departure date.

Miss Son from KBAS escort me to the aircraft from the terminal, security is very tight, the airport security did not allow me to bring my camera inside. Well no problem so we headed to the aircraft.

I've requested the maintenance support personnel to be there to assist me rectify the nose landing gear low extension problem. As per the maintenance manual, we are allowed to top up the nitrogen for the strut to bring it up to the specified length as per the chart in the MM as well as at the nose wheel well left hand bulkhead.

So i top up the nitrogen for the strut and got the required extension. Walkaround check found aircraft is in good condition. Headed back to the hotel after that.. long journey... 1 hr drive... no problem because they provide me nice big hyundai limo...

Thanks to Miss Son for the picture below, she shot it with her phone and email it to me.

Display Unit Goes Blank

I was preparing the aircraft for early morning departure and noticed the center upper DU goes blank. Aircaft is heading for Geneva and will fly back on the tonight.

I've reset the circuit breaker CB at P18 behind pilot seat nil joy, swapped it with lower center DU found defect transfered so confirmed the defect was the DU itself.

Check with Minimum Equipment List (MEL) found faulty lower DU is despatchable with cat C MEL.

My supervisor came onboard and double check the DU. He noticed a blink on the DU when he pull push the CB so he decided to do the ground test from FMC CDU maint page, walla.. sudddenly it come back to normal, so it is intermittent. However this is the sign that it gonna fail soon. So getting the spare in advance will be a good idea.

BBJ Winglet

Earlier BBJs was delivered without the winglet because it is still waiting for FAA approval. Now all BBJ delivered to customer with the winglet. Earlier BBJ have to go to winglet installation center like Patts Aviation in Wichita to get it installed, however nowadays there are few more maintenance organization approved by Boeing to carry out the installation like Malaysia Airlines Engineering in Kuala Lumpur.

Winglet mainly gave two major benefits, to reduce drag created by turbulence of airflow at the wing tip during flight thus provide fuel efficiency for longer flight range. Second benefit is cosmetic wise. It gave more corporate look for this VVIP aircraft. Imagine this BBJ without winglet, does it looks like corporate VIP aircraft? I don’t think so.

Below is the technical summary from Boeing website.

Blended winglets offer operational and economic benefits to BBJ and 737-800 customers. Mission block fuel is improved approximately 4 percent. Range capability is increased by as much as 200 nmi on the BBJ and 130 nmi on the 737-800 commercial airplane. The reduction in takeoff flap drag during the second segment of climb allows increased payload capability at takeoff-limited airports.
Environmental benefits include a 6.5 percent reduction in noise levels around airports on takeoff and a 4 percent reduction in nitrogen dioxide emissions on a 2,000-nmi flight.
The blended winglets now are available as standard equipment on BBJs, as optional equipment on 737-800 commercial airplanes, and by retrofit for BBJs, 737-800, and 737-700 commercial airplanes already in service. Because the winglet structure and systems follow established maintenance intervals and life cycles, winglets have a minimal effect on airplane maintenance.

Hydraulic Leaking

This happened 2 years ago but i still have the photo to share, massive hydraulic leaks around both main landing gear. Aircraft has been brought to maintenance facility for retraction test to confirmed the leak from main landing gear actuator however after 5 complete retaction cycle there is no sign of leak from either MLG actuator.

Here is the photo taken in Heathrow, after 8 hrs flight from base to pick-up VIP from London. It is difficult to make decision from where it leak when ground check unable to confirm it. Multiple theory was brought up by my work-mate such as it could be from ground spoiler, i'm insist on it is from the MLG even though ground check unable to confirm it.

Lucky for us the aircraft heading for hangar check and part of the package was to replaced the MLG actuator as called out by SB. Since then everything is back to normal so it prove that the culprit is the MLG actuator even though the ground retraction unable to proof it. Probably it need load from airflow when the aircraft take-off and approach to induce the leak.