Southwest Airlines 737 Engine Swap

[MicaelS]

The Southwest Airlines Maintenance and Engineering (M&E) operation runs on a 24-hour schedule. Every few days, the overnight M&E Employees undertake the exciting task of changing an engine. Southwest's engine changes take place at the Maintenance Hangars at DAL, HOU, PHX, MDW, and ATL. However, AMTs must occasionally travel to other Southwest locations to perform onsite engine changes as well. During an engine change, the engine is removed entirely from the aircraft and replaced with another engine. The process can take as few as four and as many as seven hours to complete. Teamwork is crucial; everyone has a job. Like most tasks that AMTs perform, an engine change is an extremely controlled procedure that requires not only skill, but a strict compliance with complex federal regulation. In the past year alone, Southwest AMTs performed 154 engine changes—excluding aircraft retirements.

What is amazing to me is just how small the engine actually is, minus the cowling.

[talkingmime]

1. I noticed that too. The cowling makes it look a LOT bigger!

I liked the red tag that said "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT". I have no idea what needed to be removed, but it is sort of an "All employees must wash hands before returning to work" sort of sign.

[Blue_Tires]

2. Sadly, there have been a few tragedies when a "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT" item was forgotten...

The nacelles are much larger than in the past because these are all high-bypass turbofans now...

[talkingmime]

3. And that shit keeps a bus with wings in the air?

Okay. Now I'm afraid to fly.

[Blue_Tires]

4. I used a simplified jet engine diagram, the real thing is much, much more complex...

FWIW, old-style piston props can easily keep you in the air with only a fraction of modern jet power...

no worries...

[talkingmime]

5. Yeah, and they aren't as loud. A jet came into HIA so close to the house I freaked!

EVERYTHING rattled. I even checked the news sites to see if there had been a crash. They come directly over my house on approach. Normally I don't mind it, but if a caravan of C-130's comes in I want to scream. It isn't so bad if they're empty, but when they're full they rattle everything and just seem to hang in the sky without moving.

[olddots]

6. hey no rush

please takes your time .it took me an hour to replace my wiper blades .