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Wand Over The Wing
While sitting over the wing of an MD80 aircraft waiting for departure, one of the ground crew waved this long metal wand over the wing back and forth. What was he doing? Is it some kind of anti-static thing?
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- UAL Bagsmasher
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RE: Wand Over The Wing
Most likely checking for ice accretion.
RE: Wand Over The Wing
That's a magic wand to make the plane fly.
JET
JET
RE: Wand Over The Wing
Simply a metal detector to determine if there is un leaded fuel inside.
RE: Wand Over The Wing
MD-80s that do not have the overwing heater panels have to be checked for upper wing surface ice before departure. One of the pilots must rub the "ice stick" across a series of ribs. The theory is that if there is ice on the wings, it will will the gaps between the ribs and the pilots will not feel the ridges. If the pilot detects ice, then the airplane must be deiced before it can depart. If not, the ice can and does break off the wing just at rotation and enters the engines causing damage to the fan and compressor blades that causes surging (compressor stalls). SAS lost an MD80 at Stockholm due to a double engine wing ice ingestion event and several other MD80s have had severe engine damage because of wing ice.
RE: Wand Over The Wing
Expratt did a good job of explaining it. That is why when I had to train new people I allway refered to that part of the airfoil as the "coffin corner" on rear engined aircraft. Brought the point of making sure that was clean home on any rear engined aircraft.
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