ORBIS - It's all just nuts 'n' bolts.

While the ORBIS DC-10 looks like an ordinary airliner from the outside, the picture in the cabin is slightly different. Well, the front section is quite normal, a few rows of passenger seats. But after this area, nothing reminds to the aircraft's former live at a charter airline.A report by Michael Meier.

Built in 1972, this particular aircraft left the Douglas factory in Long Beach as the second DC-10 ever built. It was used as a test aircraft for the certification of the DC-10 model.

After that, the aircraft was taken over by Laker Airways which used it until 1977. The Douglas was then flown by American Trans Air and Cal-Air (later renamed to Novair) before Project ORBIS bought it in 1991. Until then, ORBIS used a much smaller DC-8, which was donated by United Air Lines in the 1982. However, the DC-8's days were numbered and it was retired after the DC-10 arrived.

To get as much as possible out of the new plane, ORBIS built a full-scale mock-up to test the new installations and to find the best solutions for the interior design. The entire process including the actual configuration took two years and cost about US$ 15 million.

The DC-10 with the two Ground Power Units in Front.

The refurnished DC-10 entered service in 1992, when it took off for the first mission in Beijing. The new aircraft offered much more space for the installation of a complete eye care clinic. The main part is the operation room, which is located in the middle of the cabin, just over the main gear. That's the most stable area of the entire aircraft. Just behind are the substerile room and the patient's recovery area. The tail end is home of the communication centre and office.

The front section houses a laser room, TV studio as well as the classroom in the passenger section. The students, local doctors or nurses can follow an operation on the large TV-screen through a number of cameras which are installed all over the cabin. In charge of this technology is Rommel A. Japson, an audio-visual specialist from Hong Kong who is part of the flying crew since last year.

Richard Jorgenson, working on the aircraft's water system

While he is taking care of the video equipment, there are other technicians who look after the aircraft. Keeping everything up and running can be difficult during the missions, especially with all the special installations. But as Richard Jorgenson, Flight Mechanic says, "it's all just nuts'n'bolts". Despite all the modifications, it still comes down to the same basics as on every other aircraft. Nuts and bolts. And as a former engineer at United Air Lines, he really knows every single piece of the Douglas DC-10. As a volunteer, he is dedicating much of his time to ORBIS since his retirement.

Together with Edmundo Coronado, he is doing routine maintenance on the aircraft and its systems. Edmundo can also look back to more than twenty years of experience in aircraft maintenance. He joined the flying eye hospital as a flight mechanic in August 2004. Located in the cargo belly, the engineers have their own office as well their workshop. They also carry a large number of replacement parts on the aircraft, including tires.

Edmundo Coronado, Engineer on the DC-10

Most of the time, programmes are held at remote airports with limited ground support. Sometimes, there's just a forklift, nothing else. But even so, the crew will find a way to get everything up and running.

The aircraft is as self-sustaining as possible. It is equipped with two independent ground power units, which are protected by an additional battery backup. Furthermore, the aircraft carries its own air condition and water system. And to make that a bit more complicated, all of these installations have to comply with medical standards.

Due to the extensive modification, the aircraft is operating as a private cargo aircraft. All the equipment is packed into boxes and strapped down to the floor. The whole section behind the passenger cabin is closed while the crew can take a seat in the front section. On repositioning flights, the aircraft is flown by pilots from FedEx or United Air Lines. Like the ophthalmologists, the pilots are part of the voluntary crew.

Both, FedEx and United Air Lines are sponsoring ORBIS. As a non-profit organisation, ORBIS is financed by corporate sponsors and a huge number of individual donors from all over the world.

They ensure the ongoing success of the Flying Eye Hospital.

Michael Meier

> more about ORBIS can be found in our article "ORBIS - Open Your Eyes"

 

The DC-10's tail

 

> Visit ORBIS on the net... www.ukorbis.org or www.orbis.org

This report would not have been possible without the support by Kuoni Reisen and Helvetic Airways.

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