humidifiers in cockpits

[speedbird787]

Read an article about humidifiers available on lufthansa first class cabin.....what about humidifiers in cockpits to keep the crew at ease ..comments pls

[Avionker]

It's a while since I worked on them but I believe that 747-400's have a flight deck humidifier. Whether it is standard equipment, or an option, I'm not sure.

[deptrai]

https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/5422ff4f40f0b6134200091b/dft_avsafety_pdf_501805.pdf

[JammedStab]

It's a while since I worked on them but I believe that 747-400's have a flight deck humidifier. Whether it is standard equipment, or an option, I'm not sure.

Trust me...its only an option. Same with 777's.

[Dan Winterland]

Virgin 744s had it, but it was disabled in 2002. Prevention of corrosion of the overhead panel switched was cited, but we suspected it was the savings from lower fuel burn due to the fact we had to uplift less water was the real reason.

VC10s had the ability to humidify the whole cabin.

[deptrai]

some airlines that had purchased the option deactivated them...and some humidifiers created more problems than they solved: http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/262400-humidifiers-aircraft.html

edit: another interesting blast from the past on this issue, found at spectators balcony http://www.pprune.org/spectators-balcony-spotters-corner/36824-cabin-air-quality.html

newer optional cockpit and crew rest humifidiers, such as on A380, B787 seem to be based on different technology (evaporative cooling)

and if someone wants to ask why airlines consider paying for humidifiers in cockpits, crew rest, and first class cabins, it's because humidity there is lower than in other areas where the density of bipedal humidifiers is higher.

[jaytee54]

When I flew the 744 in BA, '93 to late '95, the humidifiers had been deactivated (maybe even removed).
The reason given was that the cold metal parts accumulated large amount of ice during cruise, which melted and dripped on the crew on approach.

[4andersson]

Hi, the progress of cockpit and crew humidifiers have develop during the last years. Since the above post are rather old I have a question about CTT systems humidifiers, Cair. Does anyone have good or bad experiences of it?

How It Works - CTT | CTT (http://www.ctt.se/cair-vip/how-it-works/)

Also, since Im not flying so much anymore, in your opinion, if you fly long hours without humidifiers, what long-term physiological effects has it on you personally?

[Airmann]

My understanding is that humidity was kept low on aircraft due to corrosion issues. So not sure why they were an option on some aircraft. But it seems that in nearly all instances e airlines deactivated them due to corrosion and/or wear issues, especially for avionics in the cockpit.

I know a 787 operator that is very unhappy with the extra humidity in the cockpit, because even though the aircraft structure (being cfrp) can easily handle the extra humidity (from 5% on standard aluminum frames to 15% on 787) there are many other components on the aircraft that are suffering.

The 350 comes with an optional cockpit humidifier, however, I have yet to find a picture of a 350 cockpit from any airline where that option is installed.

[Roj approved]

The 787 has one, as I understand it (very little in the FCOM) it uses water from the water tank and/or from the recirculated air.

There is an on/off switch on the overhead panel.

If it cost money to run it, my company would permanently disable it in the name of fuel savings, but they haven't, so maybe it doesn't

[Chris Scott]

Might have to turn it off a couple of hours or so before landing to allow the frost to sublime before descent - particularly in coastal areas in the tropics. Otherwise the flight crew and avionics may get over-hydrated... The grizzled F/Es always did so on the VC10. One way of assessing the degree of frost is the unheated peripheri of the side windows, which may gather it.

[Old Fella]

Not a new concept, cockpit humidifiers. The B707-300's I operated had them and they were missed when u/s. I have also worked where the company provided spray-packs of Avian water to tech crew. A personal re-humidifier of sorts.

[OK4Wire]

You might be old, OF, but they are still Evian bottles! The avian stuff is in the markets...