Questions tagged [cabin-pressure]
Airplane cabins are pressurized so that the air inside remains breathable at high altitudes.
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How much air does a 777-300ER's pressure cabin hold?
I've been wondering how much air a 777-300ER's pressurised cabin holds, but, while most of its specifications are fairly easy to find, the amount of air it contains is not.
Does anyone know what ...
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1answer
243 views
Is the air in aircraft cabin toxic?
I just listened to the recent BBC podcast episode Aerotoxicity: the hidden dangers of flying and there were interesting claims there:
Cabin air in modern passenger aircrafts comes directly from ...
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Which are the advantages of low pressure levels during flight? (i.e during cruise flight in a commercial aircraft)
I understand that due to health and security reasons, there must be a minimum in the pressure inside the cabin (75 kPa). But in class I have been told that maintaining low pressure levels has ...
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1answer
138 views
Can the pilot stop airflow between cockpit and cabin?
During normal operation the entire fuselage is pressurized equally:
An aircraft fuselage does not contain separate compartments with different pressure values in each. The entire vessel is ...
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2answers
658 views
Do pilots get more fresh air than passengers? [duplicate]
There is a famous air travel myth claiming that "pilots get more fresh air than passengers".
(source: The pure cure, p.375)
I would like experts to either dispel or confirm this myth, that ...
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1answer
277 views
Do pilots breathe the same air as passengers?
Do pilots breathe the same quality of air as passengers ?
(i.e. identical parameters: same O2, CO2 and O3 levels, same temperature, same humidity, etc.)
Do pilots breath the same air as passengers (...
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2answers
426 views
Why does the cabin air sometimes smell of kerosene? [duplicate]
Why does the cabin air sometimes smell of jet fuel, although bleed air is tapped before it comes in contact with fuel ? How is this possible?
I have smelled this a couple of times in my life (twice ...
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1answer
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Why and how can a fume event occur?
« A fume event occurs when bleed air used for cabin pressurization and
air conditioning in a pressurized aircraft is contaminated by fluids
such as engine oil, hydraulic fluid, anti-icing fluid, ...
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1answer
93 views
What's the cabin pressure of a Bombardier CRJ-900? [closed]
In terms of altitude (6000, 7000, 8000, etc), what is the cabin pressure in a CRJ-900?
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218 views
Why can't I ever get my right ear to pop on descent in a plane?
Whenever I'm flying, there's a period of descent where my right ear just refuses to pop. This has been bothering me for at least ten years.
There seems to be a long stage of descent where my ear is ...
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1answer
421 views
Are pressurized passenger aircraft usually completely airtight?
Various sources on the internet indicate that the passenger cabins on pressurised airplanes are not 100% airtight. I'm not talking about ventilation/pressure valves/cabin pressurisation system, but ...
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Is it true that a soda can or a bag of chips will pop in a plane at high altitude? [closed]
I've heard some conspiracy theorists claim that if you were to bring a soda can or a bad of chips onto an airplane, they would pop?
Is this true? If so, why?
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Is if safe/legal for an aircraft to return to cruising altitude after passenger oxygen masks have been deployed?
I was reading reports [1,2,3,4] about a recent Air China flight where one of the pilots was allegedly smoking and, in an effort to prevent the smoke circulating to the cabin, accidentally de-...
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3answers
260 views
Is the increased humidity on modern jets artificial?
Is the increased humidity on jets such as the 787 and A350 artificial? Or is it a direct result of a greater cabin pressure?
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1answer
420 views
Was the safe landing of Southwest flight 1380 extraordinary or expected?
I've been reading with great interest and concern about the recent Southwest flight that resulted in the first fatality in that airline's history.
There's one question I haven't seen answered, though:...
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2answers
446 views
How can I calculate the cabin pressure following a decompression?
What are the calculations to determine the level of cabin pressure at a given altitude once the cabin is punctured?
I was unable to determine the window size and the flow rate of the compression ...
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1answer
275 views
What are the layers of a pressurized fuselage (cross-section and construction)?
I've looked all over this site, and also Web searches - but I can't seem to find any discussion about, and the construction cross-section of, a commercial airliner's pressurized fuselage wall. Not ...
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3answers
256 views
I have really intense ear pain during descent in commercial flights. Would it be better or worse if I was flying a small non-pressurized plane?
Usually — but not always — after descending in a commercial jet airliner, my ears really hurt for several days, accompanied by minor hearing loss.
Nonetheless, I am still in love with aviation. I am ...
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Is the air bleeded from the engine to maintain cabin pressure for airlines heated or cooled [duplicate]
Is the air bleeded from the engine to maintain cabin pressure for airlines heated or cooled. If heated, what device is used, if cooled, what device is used and in both cases how much energy does it ...
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What was the first commercial aircraft to have a 'built-in' oxygen system?
(Source) Boeing 307 of TWA, the 307 was the first pressurized passenger aircraft.
The 307 (c. 1938) flew as high as 23,300 ft, lower than the jets of nowadays, and did not have a built-in oxygen ...
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1answer
2k views
Which was the first pressurized aircraft?
Which aircraft was the first one to fly pressurized?
High altitude breathing apparatus, 1918 (source)
I mean an aircraft which didn't require to don an oxygen mask above a certain altitude, ...
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0answers
279 views
Can the RAM AIR valve cause depressurization on the CRJ-900?
On the CRJ-900 AIR-CONDITIONING panel there is a RAM AIR switch light which opens a valve and allows air from the ram air scoop to enter the mixing manifold for distribution to both the flight deck ...
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What's the reason for “pre-pressurization” of the cabin prior to liftoff? [duplicate]
I'm reading a Citation M2's Pilot Training Manual, and it says:
...When the throttles are advanced for takeoff, the bleed air turns on
(if not already on for heating), and the pressurization ...
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1answer
417 views
At which point does an airliner start to pressurize/depressurize the cabin?
Do airliners start changing cabin pressure at takeoff or after reaching a certain altitude? Also when do they start depressurizing the cabin ?
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How thick is the skin of an aircraft like the Airbus A350 or Boeing B777?
We can evaluate how thick walls are by looking at door or window frames, however that isn't representative of an aircraft fuselage, which appears to be very thin:
Airbus A350 XWB forward fuselage, ...
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1answer
339 views
If an aircraft decompresses at altitude will everyone start farting?
From what I understand about how gases and liquids work, if the environment loses pressure, then it causes dissolved gases to come out of solution. For example, if a diver ascends too quickly, ...
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2answers
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How does the outflow valve work on a cabin pressurization system?
When you fill up a cabin with warm air the pressure of the cabin will rise. An outflow valve controls the desired pressure. But with pressure rising doesn't the temperature rise because you're ...
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2answers
267 views
To what extent does pressurisation increase the rigidity of an airframe?
A vessel such as a balloon or the rubber air-cell of an inflatable boat will become more rigid when pressurised.
The same must happen to the fuselage of a pressurised aircraft - but to what extent?
...
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2answers
545 views
How much air is recirculated (vs. bleed air injected) in modern airliners cabin?
Air in the cabin of airliners is a mix between:
new air (engine bleed air or ram air in some aircraft) and
recycled air pumped out of the cabin, filtered and re-injected.
How much air is ...
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1answer
1k views
Why is the A320 pre pressurised before take-off?
I know this question has been asked, but I still haven't understood the answer. In the A320 the cabin gets pre pressurised before takeoff as we apply takeoff thrust. What I don't understand is what is ...
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2answers
8k views
Are there any pressurized piston-engine aircraft?
Are there any pressurized piston engine-powered aircraft? Or does pressurization require a turboprop or jet?
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2answers
738 views
How does bleed air maintain pressure for pressurization after being cooled?
I found on aerosavvy.com/aircraft-pressurization the paragraph below, which talks about bleed air on airliners:
Most modern airliners use bleed air from the compressor section of the engines to ...
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2answers
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What is this tiny slat for?
The one labeled as "1" in the picture. And I'm having doubts about "2", it is an air supplier for cabin, right? Or am I wrong?
Thank you.
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1answer
781 views
In an unpressurized cabin, why is the cockpit ambient pressure lower than the outside pressure?
As I study for my IRA written, this (VFR) question resurfaced and continues to irk me. The annotations cite the Venturi effect as the sole reason, but I don't follow.
From Wikipedia: "The Venturi ...
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1answer
434 views
Was my latest Air Berlin flight in violation of some in-flight procedures?
I was quite surprised about one (all?) of doors on my latest Air Berlin flight. In particular:
the "Door locking indicator" was empty (black),
the "Cabin pressurized" light was not lighten and
the "...
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2answers
751 views
Have any commercial airline passengers ever been injured from hypoxia due to a depressurization event?
This question is inspired by the question "What can I do to save my life if oxygen masks fail to drop down? Is it possible?" One of my first thoughts upon seeing that question was: do you need to do ...
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1answer
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What can I do to save my life if oxygen masks fail to drop down? Is it possible?
What is the safest and fastest solution (method) in this situation?
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1answer
253 views
Is flying bad for your health?
I've always wondered if flying is bad for your health mainly because when you fly the air pressure changes a lot and i've always thought that, that can lead to negative side affects. So can someone ...
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Does the Airbus A350 have an Automatic Emergency Descent System?
In 2009 Airbus went public with a new feature in the Airbus A350, an Automatic Emergency Descent (AED) System.
The system would detect a rapid depressurization and, after a defined waiting time, ...
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3answers
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Does oxygen become less available during night-time?
The following excerpt is from the FAA's Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (page 7-37):
Some people flying above 10,000 feet during the day may experience
disorientation due to the lack ...
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1answer
204 views
Do people get less airsick if cabin pressure is at 6000 ft.?
This is in relation with a question I asked yesterday . This is part two of the question. Do people feel less discomfort. Whenever I'm traveling on planes, at times I feel strain in back of the head, ...
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1answer
275 views
How do wide-bodied commercial aircraft achieve pressure equivalent to 6000 feet altitude?
I read an LA Times article which states the following.
To reduce the stress on the traditional metal frame, airlines now pressurize the cabin to be closer to the pressure outside. When a plane is ...
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1answer
566 views
Is there possibility to Survive without brain damage at 30/35,000 feet?
I just read Mayday by Nelson Demille. I won't get into many details but the book talks about an airliner (similar to the Concorde) which operates at an altitude of ~60,000 ft (~18Km). Suddenly, due to ...
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2answers
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What's the difference between positive and negative pressure relief valves?
In cabin pressurisation systems, I thought that the negative relief valve is automatically opened if outside pressure becomes greater than inside pressure.
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3answers
642 views
Do pilots ever increase the cabin altitude intentionally?
Is it true that some pilots increase the cabin altitude slightly to calm down potentially disruptive passengers for safety reasons? For example, footballers who have just won a championship.
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2answers
215 views
Can the ECS work in an unpressurized cabin?
Can you control the cabin temperature if the cabin is unpressurized? What if the "cabin" isn't really that big, like a fighter aircraft?
For example, could I cruise in comfort at 20,000 ft in an ...
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Cabin crew : how do they get Oxygen in the event of decompression?
According to this answer, in the event of an explosive decompression it can take as little as 9 seconds to develop problems without an Oxygen supply.
How are cabin crew meant to get to an oxygen ...
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1answer
227 views
How are further structural failures prevented if an aft pressure bulkhead fails?
In a modern airliner, if the aft pressure bulkhead experiences a structural failure, what design features are incorporated into the empennage to prevent the empennage from being overpressurized (i.e. ...
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3answers
1k views
How fast does cabin air pressure leak after a total engine failure?
When an airliner loses all engines while at cruising altitude, two things happen:
The plane is a glider. It will descend no matter if you want to or not.
The cabin pressure is no longer maintained. ...
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1answer
2k views
Can air travel cause packaging air pads to burst or deflate? [closed]
This question is a new cross-post from the physics stack exchange: https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/265884/can-a-decompressed-airplane-cargo-hold-cause-packaging-air-pads-to-burst-defla
I ...
