Interesting photo-flaps down when too cold?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=535769089789944&set=a.113941481972709.10407.107815425918648&type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=535650583135128&set=a.113941481972709.10407.107815425918648&type=1&theater

Both same aircraft just wondering why flaps are down during turnaround, i know that sometimes in the summer when it is hot or humid they keep the flaps lowered.

They are frozen to their position!

In freezing condition they keep the flaps on mid position to make sure they can be retracted safely (free of contaminants).
In the summer they would keep them all the way down if you suspect a bird strike, then after having checked there is no strike they can retract them

I have not seen rthis on a 737 whilst i have been at a airport, i have seen the same on the smaller airbus The leading edge devices are slats. Along the leading edge behind the slat area the air bleed ducts. On the ground this cavity within the wing that contains the bleed duct can get very hot as the air is trapped inside during a turn around. Inside this area sensors are located to detect if the bleed air ducts have ruptured, this is done by temperature measurement in the cavity. On the older aircraft, if air not allowed to circulate in this area when the outside temperature is hot, the bleed air ducting can heat up the surrounding internal area and set off the "AIR L ( R ) WING LEAK" warning.

The solution is to leave the slats extended when the OAT is above 30 deg C, and for commonality. operators who have older and newer type of aircraft tend to leave them out to keep the procedure standard for all aircraft in their fleet.

I am not aware about that procedure on Boeing but one thing is sure, it is not part of a Ryanair procedure even on the old aircrafts

scublard wrote:I am not aware about that procedure on Boeing but one thing is sure, it is not part of a Ryanair procedure even on the old aircrafts

Negative the information i have placed is not official with Ryanair, more airbus.

A good site for Boeing technical information http://www.b737.org.uk/airconditioning.htm