Condor Boeing 767-300ER being worked on in their maintenance facility
With Condor Airlines being a smaller, low-cost carrier, it is not a huge surprise that their on-site maintenance facility at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is quite small (well, in comparison to others like Lufthansa Technik).
Just because the hangar might not have the volume of other locations, it is a place where the job gets done. Ensuring that aircraft are checked and safe is no easy task, but a very important one.
Condor’s facility at FRA is able to work on one Boeing 767 at a time — and they only work on their 767s and 757s there. Condor sublets out the work done on their Airbus aircraft at other facilities around Europe.
A closer shot of the left engine
During my visit, there was a Boeing 767 that just had its left engine replaced. It looked almost shiny and new, although it was a refurbished unit. Seeing all the parts of an open engine is always inspiring. How engineers could design such a complex piece of machinery and it can fly with little-to-no issues for such long periods of time.
On the flight deck of the Condor 767
Due to the size and capabilities of the facility, generally only line maintenance and A-checks are done there. Larger C/D-checks are sublet out to Manchester.
Close up of the fuel system on the upper panel of the Condor 767
During our visit we had the opportunity to go inside the cabin. I can’t really explain it, but going into the cabin of any aircraft that is in the middle of maintenance is such a different experience.
Nicely lit winglet in the Condor maintenance facility
There is an energy of potential. Like right now, the plane is not able to operate, but soon, but soon the plane will be back out in service, flying passengers around the world.
Good advice
Now, one fun fact that we learned during our trip was finding out the speed at which human waste will travel from the front lavatory to the rear holding tank on a 767. Anyone want to make any guesses?
260 kph — that is over 160 mph. That is impressive.
ADDITIONAL CONDOR AIRLINES MAINTENANCE FACILITY PHOTOS
Over 160 miles an hour. I’ll think about that the next time I’m in an airplane restroom.
One of you better pieces. That said, so I really need to know the ‘speed at which human waste will travel?’ You sill need a senior editor, someone with the [fill in personal choice] to just say NO. Good stuff, most of the time.
-C
I dunno Cook. I think that is some pretty good information. Where else are you going to learn such interesting airline facts?
My Associate Editor was all for it, but if you would like a Senior Editor role, you can apply. Although Comment Editor is a better position :).
Cheers Cook!
David
LMAO. Heck no. But thanks, I guess…
-C
Had a wonderful flight. Do have off the wall comment. In flight display (large gives information in miles and kilometer) but small detailed display that can be displayed in lower left gives aircraft speed in knots but mistakenly claims to give distance to destination in miles, whereas it actually gives distance to destination in knots. Thought you might want to know this.
Note: Condor webpage shows contact e-mail address for Technik that is bogus.