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Old 8th Jan 2009, 00:36
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BelArgUSA
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AEP
Age: 80
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Hola William -
xxx
I can pass along some information as to how it goes in airliners.
But no specific numbers...
I am retired as pilot, and started my career as a flight engineer.
Therefore, I had to twist the knobs to regulate the cabin environment.
xxx
When I started with PanAm, we were instructed to select 68ºF (20ºC) as cabin temperature.
Later, that temperature was increased to 70º-72ºF bracket, for fuel economy reasons.
After PanAm's bankruptcy, went to work in South America, until retirement.
Temperature selectors were kept higher.
It appears that South Americans do not like to "freeze" as Anglo-Saxons do for comfort.
The standard was 22-23ºC for daytime flights, and more like 24º for night flights.
xxx
One thing to remember - it is a hell of a job to warm-up a cold-soaked airplane cabin.
Same thing for the opposite. Cooling a cabin is a difficult task.
Each human body produces as much heat as a 100 watts lightbulb.
Flown 747s with 500 bodies to cool-off...
And in a 747, we have "cabin zones control"... does not work too well.
We generally mark the best settings with grease pencils.
xxx
I have flown airplanes in Saudi Arabian seasonal contracts. Outside temperature 120ºF.
No need to tell you that the cabin temperature was similar to an oven.
And taken airplanes parked overnight at Chicago O'Hare in winter... takes 1 hour to warm-up.
xxx
If I can also pass this information, is about cabin air circulation on ground.
For flight attendants in particular...
In a 747, they are keen to open all 10 main deck cabin doors.
It achieves only one thing. Aeration between lateral door pairs. Not the cabin.
To aerate cabins, the best is to open only 2 doors.
One door (say on the LEFT side in front, and one door (on the RIGHT side) in the back. (L-1/R-5)
That ONLY aerates the cabin from front to back.
Finally, to keep a cabin cold (or warm), close ALL window shades.
xxx
A last word about cabin temperature controls.
With PanAm, we had some airplanes with a "cabin temperature" knob in the cabin.
Flight attendants could select "WARMER" or "COLDER", at their stations.
In technical training, we were informed (secret) that knobs were connected to NOTHING.
Knobs were just there to keep flight attendants happy. Psychological cooling.
And they would not come to the cockpit every 5 minutes to complain...
Makes me laugh...
xxx

Happy contrails

P.S. - You ask about humidity...?
Cabin air conditioning systems (air cycle) make cabins extremely dry.
Each person should drink a lot of water/liquids while on long flights.
No wonder these old flight attendant's cheeks are wrinkled...
I am... with my 40 years of airline career.
BelArgUSA is offline