Spirit Airlines Livery

[Speedbird1]

I recently noticed an attractive aircraft at LGA. It had a large multi-colored "S" on its tail, reg # N503NK. It was from Spirit Airlines. It stayed less than a half-hour and was gone before I finished eating lunch. How can an aircraft get de-planed, re-fueled, re-boarded, so quickly? It's an A319-132. Anyway, my other question is the other Spirit Airlines all are painted in the "Digital" livery. Are they keeping the old livery or what?

[adscram14]

SWA turns planes in 25 minutes, so its possible. As for the livery they're slowly updating thier fleet to the new multicolored livery as to show off that a lot of thir destinations are vacations, thus the multicolored paint.

[hiss srq]

It is defineately possible to turn a plane pretty quick. Particularly a 319. If you tanker fuel to LGA you can turn it even faster. Usually the variable is how fast the self loading cargo gets on sits down and shuts up.

[Spunker]

I've actually been a participant in a 15 min turn of a DC-9-30 with ValuJet in FLL. It can work but everything has to click just so

[seahawks7757]

I've turned a Q400 full in and out in 9 minutes before. Doesn't really get any quicker then that.

[Speedbird1]

I wonder how long it takes to turn a new A388?

[Speedbird1]

I still see mostly the Digital pixel design lately on the Spirit aircraft vs. very few with the new rainbow S logo. It appears they are phasing-out the new livery and returning to the old. Unfortunately, it seems that the logo is the least of Spirits' problems!

[LGA777]

At US on the Shuttle often times the 2000 and 2100 departures are less than half full and because of ATC and weather delays are occasionally running late and we go into quick turn mode. Flights are front and rear deplaned and often have small fuel up lifts because of the short distance of the flight. Because of all of these factors 15-18 min turns are extremely common on both the 319 and E-190 and I can recall at least a few dozen 12 minute ones when the loads were very light, I believe 9 mins is our record on the 319. Despite all this safety first is our up-most priority and is NEVER compromised, and GREAT co-operative crews are essential to make them happen.

Cheers

LGA777

[gonzalu]

Actually, jetBlue is testing a new system that will deplane and board while the aircraft is taxiing from one end of the runway to the takeoff end... still working out kinks with the re-fueling connections and the speed of the fuel trucks right now. The buses with pax are fast enough and are using magnetic latches for quick connect/disconnect to the plane. Problem is they have to install a heavy metal plate to the underside of the doors to facilitate the MagnaLink as it is being called by SpeedBoard Systems, the company who is developing the technology for jetBlue...

Isn't that right, Phil?

[Speedbird1]

To return to my other question, did Spirit simply halt re-painting the aircraft with the rainbow "S" livery due to financial problems? I thought the "Digital" livery was to be phased-out. I personally never liked the digital livery although it is very distinctive and represents the digital age. I always preferred colorful aircraft.

[heeshung]

Actually, jetBlue is testing a new system that will deplane and board while the aircraft is taxiing from one end of the runway to the takeoff end... still working out kinks with the re-fueling connections and the speed of the fuel trucks right now. The buses with pax are fast enough and are using magnetic latches for quick connect/disconnect to the plane. Problem is they have to install a heavy metal plate to the underside of the doors to facilitate the MagnaLink as it is being called by SpeedBoard Systems, the company who is developing the technology for jetBlue...

Isn't that right, Phil?

You forgot to mention that they're adding lavatory-emptying capabilities to said fuel trucks.

[Landing Lights]

I asked around a bit. It seems they did a few aircraft and then just stopped. Nobody seems to know why.

Edit: My guess is that they realized that they couldn't get people to pay a mandatory "This plane has an ugly new paint job to replace the ugly old one" fee.

[clear_prop]

You forgot to mention that they're adding lavatory-emptying capabilities to said fuel trucks.

They've converted the planes to run on bio-fuel, so they don't have to empty the lavs any more.

[Speedbird1]

I guess I'm the only one who feels the new Spirit "S" livery is attractive. The way things are going with mergers and such, the airline will either soon merge or file for bankruptcy. Part of the beauty of spotting is that it changes almost daily what with new liveries all the time. Who'd have thunk that AAL would change after so long?