This photo popped up on social media a while back and was so shocking at first glance that I just knew I needed to find an explanation:
As it turned out, someone else felt the same way, realized the photo was of an easyJet plane, and asked them what’s up.
Not surprisingly, the easyJet worker wasn’t applying duct tape to the plane ;-). Although if you believed the original reply that easyJet tweeted, that’d be a little misleading:
@adtomwood Hi Adam, Please be reassured that the duct tape is in place as a result of some cosmetic work that is required to the aircraft
— easyJet (@easyJet) May 29, 2015
Duct tape for cosmetic work? On a PLANE??
A couple of days later though, easyJet gave a different answer:
@jeffevansg Hi Jeff, the engineer was carrying out a routine maintenance procedure with speed tape in line with security measures.^Ioanna
— easyJet (@easyJet) May 31, 2015
So what was it?
The worker was applying speed tape, not duct tape, to the plane; in that case, it was perfectly OK and safe to do so.
Speed tape (also known as aluminum foil tape) is an aluminum pressure-sensitive tape used to do minor repairs on, along with other things, planes. It’s used as a temporary repair material until a more permanent repair can be done. It looks like duct tape (gee, ya THINK?), but its adhesive can stick onto an airplane fuselage or wing at high speeds, which is how it got its name. It’s approved by the manufacturer, the FAA and airlines’ respective engineering departments for certain temporary repairs.
Oh, and it also costs way, way, WAY more than duct tape.
So it’s all good – should you ever see what looks like a duct tape repair on a plane, don’t worry – it’s not 😉
* Yes, I know the tweet/photo/reply is over 9 years old. Stuff on the internet never dies, it was the first time I saw it and, I bet, there will be several other people reading this who have never seen it before, either. So there 😉
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1 comment
This is used on every plane by every airline. So unless you plan of driving to every vacation you take, you’ve been planes where this is used.
It’s only used on the fuselage, usually to cover up rivets and screws. It’s completely cosmetic. But if it is peeled up, then they know someone had opened a compartment or worked on a part of the plane, thus that section demands a second look.