Airlines workers hose down 747 before rolling it into hangar for three-week-long overhaul; San Francisco, California

United Airlines 747 awaits rolling into hangar in background to begin major 3-week-long overhaul California

UA workers wear protective gear as they apply paint stripper to 747; San Francisco Intl Airport. California

United Airlines men spray yellow primer on 747 during three-week overhaul & repaint;San Francisco California

United Airlines men spray yellow primer on 747 during three-week overhaul & repaint;San Francisco California

Floor and wall panels off, 747 framework, wiring & cables are accessed for inspection & repair California

United Airlines mechanic leans out empty 747 window to wipe paint primer off another window. California

Mechanic Pat Mullane exits DC-10 wing fuel tank through tiny port United Airlines, San Francisco. California

Swallowed by a 747 wing, a mechanic squeezes halfway up through a port to do repair; San Francisco California

Bill Boyce sits atop DC8 wing, repairing & adjusting wing flaps @ United Airlines, San Francisco California

United Airlines mechanic jams himself thru tiny door inside DC-8 tail section; San Francisco California

Thomas Yasuda marks cracks showing up on X-ray of bearing-support diaphragm of JT8D jet engine. California

Brandon Maus & cracked 747 fuselage ribs that could allow cabin pressure to explode frame open. California

United Airlines mechanics Sam Piper/Scott Fingers replace struts in corroded frame of 747 belly. California

Two UA mechanics working in forward section of 747 to replace cracked fuselage rib sections. California

Inspector J.J. Gutierrez uses borescope, a fiber-optic device, to examine innards of 747 engine California

Inspector Robert Ross uses borescope, a fiber-optic device, to examine innards of 747 engine. California

Technician's trained eye hunts cracks in 737 engine burner can, cause of fatal runway fire in UK California

Scott Finger hastily shuts engine cowling on delayed DC10 that needed new tail engine installed California

Men adjust turbine blades from jet engine before closing dynamic balancer & spin balancing blades California

Lee Stillwell replaces the blades on jet engine rotor before spin balancing the assembly. California

Technicians watch readings from jet engine operating @ full power on other side of green window. California

United Airlines men guide 767 rudder back onto tail after patch- ing lightning-strike holes. California

Airlines execs dwarfed by 747 wing during FAA inspection; United Airlines San Francisco base. California

Workers ride bikes between hangars at United Airlines' 400-acre, 8000-man repair base;San Frncsco California

United Airlines man grabs noon-day nap in container used to ship radomes; San Francisco base. California

United Airlines workers carry seats back into 747 after major, 3-week overhaul and refitting. California

United Airlines crew hand loads reupholstered seat cushions onto DC8 due to broken conveyor belt. California

Rose Vassallo hangs filled life preservers from conveyor & spots leaky ones when they come around California

Emergency slide-raft is deployed for FAA test; this one filled in 6.6 seconds; limit is 15 secs California

Radio/electric specialist George Mann needs manual to trace the maze of wiring in 747 cockpit. California

Final test of $2.5-million 14703-man-hr overhaul of 747: cockpit specialists rev plane outdoors. California

After overnite, tri-annual comprehensive checkup, DC10 rolls from hangar @ San Francisco Airport. California

United Airlines man kneels inside 767 engine to inspect blades at San Francisco maintenance base. California

United Airline crew rushes to 'turn around' newly-arrived 727 at San Francisco Intl Airport. California

United Airlines pilot does routine inspection of engines on 767 before taking off; San Francisco California