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Modern design practices for long-life aircraft and how they relate to the current aging aircraft fleet situation are presented. Concepts of the maintenance programs are also introduced along with means of modifying the program to protect the aircraft against the increased probability of fatigue and corrosion as the aircraft ages. Special programs by the manufacturer, such as extended fatigue testing and on-site aircraft evaluations, are discussed. The recent aging aircraft activities sponsored by the ATA and AIA are also examined.

Dynamic tests were conducted in 1986 with airline passenger triple-seat assemblies. The goal was to gain experience in testing methods and gather data on airline seat performance in the dynamic environment of an emergency landing. The test series investigated acceleration levels, impact velocity, longitudinal and vertical impacts, multiple-row effects, and floor deformation. The test conditions remained below the point of total seat assembly failure so that the performance of the seat assemblies could be evaluated for structural integrity, reaction loads of the seat legs with the floor structure, and the loads experienced by the instrumented dummy occupant.