Maintaining Tyres on Parked Aircraft

Operators must carefully maintain the tires that are fitted to parked aircraft to ensure the most efficient return to service.

This article describes the tire maintenance practices which are recommended by Dunlop during periods when an aircraft is stored.

These maintenance practices are applicable to ALL TIRES, main and nose, new and retreaded.

Tires contaminated with deicing fluids should be washed with clean water.  Plastic covers should be installed over the tires.

Installed tires should be maintained at the pressure which is stated in the applicable Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM).

The pressure of installed tires should be checked - with an appropriate tire pressure gauge - at least every five days whilst the aircraft is parked.

A tire (and its mating tyre) must be removed from the aircraft if its pressure is found to be less than 80% of the correct inflation pressure.

Flat tires must never be re-inflated because damage to the internal structure of the tire - which is not visible - might have occurred. 

Wheels should be rotated at least every 2 weeks by 90 degrees to relieve flat spots that will form on the contact patch.

Tires must be correctly inflated before the aircraft is moved.

The crew might notice vibrations during taxi and take-off when the aircraft is operated for the first time after a period of storage.  The vibration is caused by flat-spots and it should diminish during the first taxi and take off.  Crews should be informed of this issue.