After 9 years on the Bae146 I am still allegedly fit now, but probably lucky so to be.
Not only did the 146 APU smell, the early production models would pump blue fumes into the rear of the cabin after startup and following pack initiation on1st start of the day. As the SLF would not be impressed we would start it early and clear the worst of visible fumes and odour before we would invite them aboard.
Also, certain airframes would provide an altimeter check consisting of a "sweaty socks" odour, for less than a minute, in the engine idle descent, at 8000 ft. Maybe it lasted longer but once a smell is in the nose it requires the nasal passages to be purged with fresh air before further detection.
Needless to say tech log entries produced neither positive nor useful rectification reports and never was a proper air sampling exercise carried out despite management being alerted via ASRs or 'ear-tugging'.
When I do pop my clogs I'll be happy for some bored pathologist to take various biopsies for research purposes and will even donate a bit of non-essential whilst still alive, if there is any program out there wishing to examine those who've definitely and repeatedly been exposed to these fumes for nearly a decade.
For the sake of our successors the CAA medical wallahs should display their inependence from industry pressures and using their vast medical database, with the permission of volunteers, a proper scientific & objective study could be performed.
If I have to submit to a breathalyser test before I board to operate, I expect to have a leeching done IMMEDIATELY and AUTOMATICALLY after landing following ANY fumes event!
But I can hear the beancounters arguing over who would pay for such a procedure, so in the meantime we're back to awaiting the "Tombstone Imperative"?
Ah, that's why I've got this posting name.....................
