Originally Posted by
Cyio
Yeah I don't know the cost to purchase them with the plane, but it has to be less than the lifespan of the aircraft when compared to the fans and manpower wasted due to the hot brakes.
I think the brake fans are a perfect example, a microcosm, of how out of touch management is with operations.
They have stated that portable brake fans are cheaper than the mx involved with the ones on the planes, so they opted for the portable ones. They totally discounted the mx that needs to be done on the portable fans and what happens when they brake. So when they brake, as they are now, you have the delays in departures and gate holds, while they allocate a ramper, understaffed as well, to move one fan from wheel to wheel while others remain broke.
It’s such a disconnect. I personally don’t leave the gate unless every wheel is under 150 in LAS and if that takes a delay, oh well. Brakes catching fire isn’t something I take lightly so I’ll occupy that gate as long as it takes for them to cool with that one brake fan. Sorry to those waiting in the North teardrop ramp for the gate to open.
It’s like why do we even bother acting like gate air works and take up the rampers time hooking it up? How many calls a day does ops get with “disconnect, blowing hot” and they keep hooking it up every time, every day, every summer, every year. Just a disconnect.