What Would You Do if You Saw This, Moments Before Take-Off?
Duct tape is a wondrous product and a true DIY’ers go-to for any and all manner of projects. No creative tool box, craft table or art studio is complete without it. But imagine boarding an airplane, settling down in your window seat, and looking out onto the runway, only to find a man seemingly repairing the engine with a roll of the silvery gray sticky stuff. Upgrading furniture? Sure. Fashioning a cool wallet? Absolutely. Fixing an airplane? No. Way.
As a new viral photo of an easyJet flight demonstrates, that might actually happen. But if it does, don’t freak out too much.
EasyJet passenger Adam Wood posted a photo last week on Twitter when he spotted a technician sticking something to his plane’s giant engine.
Adam Wood’s photos went viral after he posted a tweet of this man repairing his aircraft with tape. Photo: Twitter
“Always worrying when @easyJet are duct taping the plane together #finaldestination” he wrote.
After Wood’s tweet went viral and made headlines on MailOnline and other outlest, an easyJet spokesperson clarified the matter.
The tape used was not, in fact, duct tape, but a far more powerful form of adhesive known as speed tape. It is often used in aviation fixes and was named as such due to its ability to stick to the aircraft at high speeds in extreme wind conditions.
In fact, a single roll can cost hundreds of dollars.
We can’t say we blame Wood for his concern - but this procedure is standard. Photo: Adam Wood/Twitter
“The high speed metallic tape is in place as a result of some cosmetic work that is required to the aircraft paintwork,” the airline replied to him on Twitter. “It is nothing structural and in no way compromises the safety of the aircraft.”
Speed tape is intended for use in aviation and perfectly safe as a temporary solution. Photo: Twitter
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This isn’t the first time an apparent DIY tape job on an engine has alarmed the internet.
In 2011, for example, a photo of a RyanAir jet wrapped in tape drew attention worldwide.
(Is that duct tape holding this RyanAir engine together? Nope. Credit: Salon.com)
Back then, a mechanic told Salon magazine why passengers shouldn’t panic.: “It’s approved by the manufacturer, FAA and company engineering department for certain repairs … always temporary.”
As DIY enthusiasts, we know the problem-solving potential of duct tape to be almost limitless, but we must admit we’re relieved to hear that it’s not being relied on for aircraft repair. A glue gun, perhaps?
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