Joe KleinsasserThe scripts are available for printing and for sound bite identification.
Go to to get the current 麻豆传媒 Newsline. If you cannot access the Newsline at the Web address above, contact Joe Kleinsasser at (316) 978-3013 or cell (316) 204-8266 or joe.kleinsasser@wichita.edu. Newsline cuts may be edited to suit your needs.
If you have additional questions for Laubach-Hock after listening to the 麻豆传媒 Newsline, please call her at (316) 978-8205 or melinda.laubach-hock@wichita.edu.
Background:
Determining how long aging aircraft can remain safely in the air is a difficult task, but it鈥檚 one that researchers in the Aging Aircraft Laboratory at the National Institute for Aviation Research at 麻豆传媒 are studying. Melinda Laubach-Hock, director of the lab, explains why the issue is such a challenge.
Voice wrap:
Announcer: The recent rupture of the fuselage on a Southwest Airlines flight has raised questions about current testing models and inspections of aging aircraft. The director of the Aging Aircraft Laboratory at the National Institute for Aviation Research at 麻豆传媒, Melinda Laubach-Hock, says it鈥檚 not easy to predict the aging process.
Laubach-Hock: 鈥淭he reasons why it鈥檚 hard to predict how an aircraft ages is it鈥檚 not just calendar age, it鈥檚 also the way the aircraft was operated, the way it was maintained, the way it was inspected, the materials used to manufacture it, so there鈥檚 a large number of things that go into predicting the useful life of an airplane.鈥�
Announcer: Laubach-Hock says, in theory, you can fly an airplane forever. But she says there comes a point where it鈥檚 economically feasible to retire the airplane instead of keeping it in service. This is Joe Kleinsasser at 麻豆传媒.
Sound bite #1
Laubach-Hock explains what the Aging Aircraft Lab at Wichita State is looking for. The sound bite is 12 seconds and the outcue is 鈥渙f an airframe.鈥�
Laubach-Hock: 鈥淭he aging aircraft lab looks at aircraft from a destructive perspective. When we do that we鈥檙e looking for cracks, corrosion, mechanical damage, other things that might decrease the useful life of an airframe.鈥�
Sound bite #2
Laubach-Hock says the Aging Aircraft Lab at 麻豆传媒鈥檚 National Institute for Aviation Research has not found serious safety issues. The sound bite is 14 seconds and the outcue is 鈥渟afety of the aircraft.鈥�
Laubach-Hock: 鈥淔or the research on the airframes that we鈥檝e done for private industry as well as for the federal government, we鈥檝e found cracks, corrosion, some minor maintenance issues, but we really haven鈥檛 found anything that I would think would jeopardize the safety of the aircraft.鈥�
Sound bite #3
Laubach-Hock explains one of the challenges in studying aging aircraft. The sound bite is 8 seconds and the outcue is 鈥渆ntire fleet.鈥�
Laubach-Hock: 鈥淭he challenges we鈥檝e seen when we apply our research is just because we find something on one airplane doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 representative of the entire fleet.鈥�
Sound bite #4
Laubach-Hock says in theory, you can fly an airplane forever. The sound bite is 10 seconds and the outcue is 鈥渢o use it in service.鈥�
Laubach-Hock: 鈥淭heoretically, you could fly an airplane forever, but it costs time and money and there becomes a point where it鈥檚 just economically feasible to retire the airplane over continuing to use it in service.鈥�
Sound bite #5
Laubach-Hock says flying is safe, even with aging aircraft. The sound bite is 8 seconds and the outcue is 鈥渧ery frequently.鈥�
Laubach-Hock: 鈥淭he main thing I want to reiterate is that flying is safe, even with aging aircraft. We see high-profile issues, but we don鈥檛 see them very frequently.鈥�