5 Reasons Why Civilian Airplanes Are White

Civilian aircraft are more easily detected by bird sensing. (photo: unsplash)

JAKARTA – The Indonesian presidential plane, which has now changed its color from dominant blue to dominant red, is being highlighted. Indonesia One, now it looks more "Indonesian" with the red and white color on its body.

The color white is always present in almost every aircraft, especially civilians. Technically, the white color is indeed needed. There are various reasons why the color is often used by civil aircraft.

1. White, Reflects the Sun

The fuselage is painted white or a light color is to reflect sunlight. Colors other than white are said to absorb most of the light. This is said to be very important because when sunlight is absorbed by an airplane, it can heat up the fuselage.

The white color of passenger aircraft can minimize heating and potential damage from solar radiation. Not only when the plane is flying, but also when it is parked on the runway.

2. White, No Fading

When flying at high altitude, the aircraft is exposed to various atmospheric conditions. Colors tend to fade over time, and therefore require repainting to maintain aesthetics.

Apart from that paint adds significant weight to the plane which means more fuel is burned, repainting the plane also costs money.

3. Allows signs of damage to be more easily detected

The white color is said to make it easier to check the safety and construction of the aircraft body. In addition to making it easier for technicians, the white color is also said to be more obvious if there is damage to the aircraft body.

Technicians will periodically inspect the fuselage, to avoid cracks and excessive dents. There's nothing better than white paint because dents, oil spills, and other defects are almost always darker than white paint, making it possible to identify and repair quickly.

4. Bird Attack

Bird strikes are common and can pose a significant threat to aircraft safety. A bird strike is a collision between a bird and an aircraft in flight or during takeoff, landing, or in low altitude flight.

The white exterior is considered to increase aircraft visibility and potentially improve detection and avoidance by birds. Birds find it easier to detect planes in sufficient time to avoid collisions.

5. Easier to resell

The use of white is often associated with the mass of faded paint on the fuselage. This affects purchasing power when the aircraft is about to be sold.

If the plane is dark or for example black, it must be repainted more often, because the mass fades faster than white. This can increase aircraft maintenance costs, and dark colors tend to be difficult to resell.

According to Aerocorner, dark colored airplanes tend to have a much lower resale value than light colored airplanes.