Flying high

[Matt Gonitzke]

Marty the article I read about the air quality in airliners seemed to be correct, and I also asked some airline pilots about it and they agreed at that time.

Marty is correct. There is no pressure barrier between the cockpit and cabin of a pressurized airliner. For that matter, there is also no pressure barrier between the cargo hold and passenger cabin, another common misnomer. Bleed air is used to maintain the pressure differential, and air is not recirculated, it goes out the outflow valve, which maintains the pressure differential or cabin altitude, depending on how the pressurization system is set up.

[Frank Giger]

1. Bill, you have made my top 50 people I want to sit and drink coffee with and chew the fat over stuff. We may not agree on a lot of things, but you're articulate and passionate and have a fine sense of controversy.

2. I'd actually be more scared of authorities finding pot on my aircraft than I would be of second hand smoke - the "contact high" is largely a myth. Law enforcement confiscating expensive things with drugs found in them isn't, though. The "it isn't mine" defense isn't one.

3. I guess I'm just a big chicken - I even limit the amount of coffee I drink before I get behind the stick. I have a 24 hour rule for alcohol use.

[1600vw]

1. Bill, you have made my top 50 people I want to sit and drink coffee with and chew the fat over stuff. We may not agree on a lot of things, but you're articulate and passionate and have a fine sense of controversy.

2. I'd actually be more scared of authorities finding pot on my aircraft than I would be of second hand smoke - the "contact high" is largely a myth. Law enforcement confiscating expensive things with drugs found in them isn't, though. The "it isn't mine" defense isn't one.

3. I guess I'm just a big chicken - I even limit the amount of coffee I drink before I get behind the stick. I have a 24 hour rule for alcohol use.

Frank I agree with all the above...

I fly just for the fun of it and maybe for an hr. You have no idea how many times I had to land to go to the bathroom in that Hr. I drink a LOT of water. Its coffee, Water with a glass of milk with meals. That is all I drink, gave up beer..It was making me fat...and I was drinking to much of it.

Tony

[Frank Giger]

I work third shift - 2300-0700 - so I'm stymied on when I can drink other than my days off. An after work beer would be around 0800, and so I'd be drinking alone. Start drinking alone at 0800 and the next thing one knows they're going to meetings where they tell a body they're not supposed to drink at all, ever.



Actually, I'm thinking Bill would probably be the guy to give one the shirt off his back if they needed it. The Interwebs really aren't the best way of really coming across as a person most of the time.

[Bill Greenwood]

Thanks Frank, you are very kind. Maybe we will meet at Airventure this year.

[Floatsflyer]

I fly just for the fun of it and maybe for an hr. You have no idea how many times I had to land to go to the bathroom in that Hr. I drink a LOT of water.

Tony

The older I get, the less my bladder can withstand the rigours of 2-4 hour flights. So in order to avoid anxiety, stress and taking my feet of the rudder pedals to cross them and clinch, I carry empty plastic water bottles in the plane at all times keeping 1-2 close by. Obviously this is the antidote for the guys; for you ladies I don't have an easy fail safe solution.

[Flyfalcons]

It is total B.S. as the air comes from the 8th and 13th stages from the engines and thru the air cycle machines ( Packs). I put in the cockpit doors on after 911 and they are not air tight. The emergency O2 systems are seprate. The pilots off a O2 bottle and the passengers off a oxygen generators. I seriously don't belive the pilots smelled anything as air enters the cabin and exits thru the rear of the cabin tube thru the outflow valve. Just another case like the rest of the news in this country of reporter fabrication.

The outflow valve on the GIV is up front near the pilot's feet. So any smell in the cabin will work its way toward the pilots.

[Jim Hann]

The Learjet has its outflow valve up front as well. The joke was you'd never smell the FO's gas! :-). The Airbus 300 I'm flying now has one outflow valve at each end but also avionics cooling valves that can affect the direction of airflow. The 747-400F has both outflow valves in the rear and also has a ducting system to try and keep the upper deck at .1 psi positive to the cabin to minimize smoke and fume ingress. The Jetstream 41 had dual outflow valves in the aft pressure bulkhead. Really drove the passengers nuts when the FO and I would pick up BBQ on a MEM turn, the wonderful aroma would travel the length of the cabin!!! 8-)