Extras · 1 of 4

A typical shift

Airlines run 24 hours. A night shift in a hangar might start at 7pm with a checklist of scheduled inspections on an aircraft that flies out at 6am: open panels, inspect, replace worn parts, run engine checks, sign the release. Line maintenance at the gate means fixing snags between flights in minutes, in any weather. Everything is written down, and every part has paperwork.