Engine Ground Run

Do you know LAEs can be pilots too? That's what happen when LAEs are required to perform Engine Ground Run (EGR). It is compulsory for all aircrafts to do EGR after the aircraft has completed Engines Overhaul, particularly after Heavy Maintenance Review (HMV). Today, I am stationed to Seat Bay Workshop at Line 5, carrying out HMV on Air BeRLiN A330. In the morning, the task I did was quite boring, repairing back seat cushions for economy class. What we did were identifying the torn cushions and then sticked them together with plastics adhesives. Guess what, the smell of the adhesive is strong enough to get you high in the sky, exactly like the smell of the yellow color glue the mechanic uses when he fixes you car's tyre, remember? There were hundreds of seats needed to be repaired, once they were all done, we sent them back into the aircraft for installation. Time flashed, lunch break put a halt to our task in cabin. Oh yeah, time to eat! Let's go ... As I was walking to canteen, I saw the notice board wrote, " Daily Task - EGR 8/05/2008 (1230hrs)" Deep in my heart, I whispered, "Ooh, is now right?" Wow, really hope I can join the EGR too with the LAEs. With collected courage in my fists, I approached the LAEs and asked for permission to follow them for EGR. They agreed. Woooo ... What an opportunity! I rather skipped my lunch for it , yes I did. Haha :) Entered the cockpit, from the towing of aircraft out from the hangar to EGR process, I was involved there. The purpose of EGR is to run the engine up to operating rpm and to pressurize the fuel and oil lines so that leakages can be detected. Any abnormalities with the engines operation can also be detected furing EGR. 4 LAEs participated in EGR, 2 Mechanical and 2 Avionics LAEs. In shortest words, this is how EGR is performed:

Start APU power
Tow aircraft out of hangar
Test the Engine Fire/Overheat System
Apply Parking Brake and insert Wheels Chokes
Inspect for Foreign Object Damage around aircraft
Switch ON Hydraulic Power
Contact Control Tower to request permission for EGR
Start Engine 1
Start Engine 2
Observe Fuel Flow, Engine Gas Temperature (EGT), N1 and N2 rpm
Increase throttle to about 80% maximun

A330

A330 Cockpit

Basically, that's what we did for EGR. After throttles had been pushed to 80% max, they were then pulled back to idle power, subsequently to OFF mode; save fuel and prevent pollution! By 80% max. power, you can feel the whole aircraft is shaking and rocking hard. Pretty exciting as if sitting on O sim massage chair. Hehe ;) Usually, some subtasks are done also during EGR, for instance the testing of Weather Radar System. This task is quite dangerous, as radioactive Gama Rays is shot from aircraft radome Weather Radar. Ok, my advice to men, " If you don't to celebrate Father's Day again, try standing in front of the aircraft radome!" Don't you dare? At the same time, we also tested the VOR system, Water & Waste system, ATC system and TCAS system. For avionics side, life has been made simple since A330 is a fly-by-wire aircraft. What an avionic LAE need to do is just select the test on a particular system on Central Maintenance Computer (CMC) and automatically the test is run to detect any defects. The results can be printed out by CMC for further trouble-shooting. It is just so much fun to learn new knowledge and gain valuable experience from all these LAEs. Simply irresistible!

There was a funny but memorable event that occurred during the EGR. When the aircraft has completed all the tests outside the hangar, supposedly the aircraft must be towed back into the hangar again. Surprisingly, the tow-tug cannot be started. Ooh, we ended up lepak-ing inside the cockpit for about an hour. The tow-tug can finally put alive by 'jumping start' with the Ground Power Unit. This time, the tow-tug was unable to move the aircraft even for an inch. Reason; the tow-tug has insufficient power to tow aircraft into hangar. No choice, we had to wait for another tow-tug from Hangar 4 which has been used to tow a MAS B747 out for refueling. The great thing was, I got to climb down through the Avionics Bay Compartment (Picture3) to leave the aircraft from under the front of the nose landing gear. Really ha, a series of up and down! Finally, it was a 'more powerful' tow-tug towing a 'less powerful' tow-tug with A330 on behind. Wooww ...

Come to think about it, I am very grateful to be given the opportunity to join the EGR. Not everyone has the chance like this. Thank you, God! The LAEs are very friendly and willing to teach me, credits go to Mr Chin, Mr Yaw, Mr Sulaiman, Mr Zaini and Mr Abd Kadir. It is so much worth to skip my lunch, in return I have learned about EGR. Yeah ...

p/s: *Latest update, Air Berlin A330 had undergone test flights on that particularly. By 9/05/2008 (Friday), Air Berlin will be flying back to Germany. Bon Voyage, Air Berlin. See you again ...!

More to come, Keith!
ChEeRs :)
God bless ...