Smoking on the flight deck

[Lightheart]

Just joined a corporate operator. I know that many customers pay to be flown privately so that they can smoke in the air. But wondered if it was normal practice for flight crew to smoke as well.

They do in my company. Guess, it´s OK if you smoke. but if you´re a non-smoker like me, to see your captain lighting up every few mins is not easy

[greenslopes]

Well telling the bloke in the left hand seat you would rather he didn't smoke is not the best career move....better to try something subtle.
The next time he/she lights up, take your shoes off and make sure you put your dirty smelly feet as high as possible. If they are sensible they will begin to recognise that every time they light up you take your shoes off. If not at least you will have some individual qualities that will get a chuckle.

Good luck

[jr of dallas]

:yuk:put laxative in his coffee Man, he 'll be too busy sh***ing his pants to bother you smoking ! (:eek:

[spidermonkey]

I also work for a company that allow smoking on board the aircraft including crew but I wonder how this fits in with the UK no smoking in doors / in the workplace etc rule. If people are not allowed to smoke in public places or company cars then how can they smoke in the A/C?

[Arkwright]

As far as I'm concerned, whilst flying a G reg aircraft on Public Transport, UK National rules apply. I'm not sure however, if I can apply the same ruling to a private owner......

Can Chauffeurs expect their bosses (and owners of the vehicle) not to smoke??????

:bored:

[airman13]

well , someones must be happy, 'cause they are smoking for free .....(for nonsmokers)

[Chippie Chappie]

Q: "Do you smoke?"
A: "Only passively."

Much movement of air vents might help you. Or you could go and put the anti-icing on because you're entering cloud.

On a serious note, I would think that it would be illegal on a G-reg flight deck because of UK law so try mentioning it to the CP. If it's your CP who is smoking, much movement of the air vents.....

Chips

[Touchdown]

The no smoking laws do not apply to aircraft at all, regardless of registration. If the skipper wants to light up then unfortunately there is not much you can do about it... Not very thoughtful though.

Maybe a quiet word to the CP suggesting that crew should not smoke when pax are on board... then at least he can go down the back on an empty sector and get his fix..

[Belgium Legacy]

Not sure about the UK law on that but in Holland you are not allowed to have a bed in your workplace............
Keep on thinking and you end up with the smoking rule.

It's getting less and less by the way, the smoking on the flightdeck what I understand from other people.

[fernytickles]

Eeeycuk :yuk: No job is worth putting up with someone else's smoke fumes for hours on end. THe aeroplane must stink. I'd be looking elsewhere asap

[blue monday]

The no smoking laws do not apply to aircraft at all, regardless of registration. If the skipper wants to light up then unfortunately there is not much you can do about it... Not very thoughtful though.

Can you quantify that statement, as i believe the UK Laws would apply to UK aircrtaft and smoking in the workplace is banned and regardess of whether its private charter or a private owner jet the pilot is being paid so it is a work place.

[B200Drvr]

I was parked at Sharm a few days ago and the crew in a G200 next to me were sitting in the cockpit smoking up a storm, pity the VIP that got on there if he was a non smoker. I agree with the earlier sentiment about the laws, furthermore if you are subjected to long flights in a confined space with a smoker, C O M P E N S A T I O N :eek:

[Flintstone]

Go on a high fibre, spicy diet then each time you fart in the cockpit apologise and explain that it's an allergic reaction to nicotine :E

[robash]

Just for clarification aircraft are excempt from the smoke free regulations - I have the details from the Office of Public Sector Information if one is so inclined.

[BizJetJockey]

Hmm a spicy diet...i can think of a few companies on the other side of the Indian ocean where the flight deck must be a very happy place to be!!!

Would you like mango chutney with that Sir?!?
:}:eek::yuk:

[Pace]

Green slope

The obvious answer is to put the oxygen mask on a breath oxygen every time he lights up.

I had a passenger who smoked a lot. I had a female co-pilot on one trip and she put on a her oxygen mask to make a point to him.
He never used her again so :-)

Has anyone had passengers smoking pot in the back? One friend I knew did but thought they were funny smelling cigarettes.

What effect would inhaling other peoples smoke esp Pot have on the pilots?

Pace

[CCR]

Smoking in the cockpit is totally unprofessional and is not tolerated in the vast majority of companies. If you can't bring it up as an issue in your company, it's time to find another job or you'll end up taking a case against your company in the long run.

[tempilot]

Pace,

The most dangerous thing you could do is put your oxygen on when your colleague is smoking! I assume you were joking when you said that.

Tempilot.

[HXdave]

when flying and smoking at the same time, where do they flick the ash or flick the tab end?

i mean, it's not like a car where you can just wind the window down and chuck your spent ciggy out (or can you?)

:sad:

[Denti]

Dunno about smaller jets, but at least in Boeings (737 classics/NG) an ashtray beside each pilot seems to be a standard thing. At least we have them in every plane although smoking is of course not allowed.

[Deeko01]

In a UK registered aircraft operating public transport you should not be able to smoke at all on board as it is a public place and smoking is banned in public places, certainly wont let anyone smoke on our ships.

[pilotbear]

quite right too:E

[Belgium Legacy]

How can you call an airplane a public place when it is parked on a secured and limited access ramp.

[GULF69]

I am a smoker, but wouldn’t dream of lighting up in the cockpit, especially if my Co-pilot is a non-smoker! Its just common courtesy! Besides, it’s a few hours of bliss for my lungs!

[golondrina]

Most in my experience go to the galley, mind you alot of guys stick to the rule if the client smokes then they smoke otherwise no, I have however found Sandpit clients to cloud the plane to the point where you want to stick a gas mask on for the duration of the flight ( very retro )...they are heavy smokers there including Pot! the attitude out there is they can do what they want they payed for the trip so therefore it is there gig.... on the fence about that!!! :hmm:

[robash]

Hi - just to reiterate that aircraft are exempt from the smoking ban therefore it is permitted to smoke on an aircraft.

Clearly this is not the case if the owner of the aircraft forbids it.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/uksi_20070765_en_2

The above link takes you to part of the Smoke Free Regulations policy. Point 11 is concerned with the enclosed vehicles that the ban applies to with point (6) listing the exemptions to this rule, aircraft.

Hope this helps...!

[xraf]

There are other rules about providing satisfactory working conditions and it would seem yours are not. The following is a quote from a health and safety website I just found called personneltoday.com.

Although I accept a bit of give and take is necessary as a non smoker I would not put up with smoking in a such a confined area as a flight deck.

In 1997, a former law firm employee claimied her employer had forced her to work in a smoky environment. The tribunal upheld her claim, and an appeal by her employer was unsuccessful. The tribunal concluded that it was an implied term of every contract of employment that the employer will provide and maintain a working environment that is reasonably tolerable to all staff. This applies to the quality of air an employee breathes while they are at work.

This is English law and as such would possibly not apply to a foreign registered aircaft but it may be a place to start.

Regards
Xraf:ok:

[GTJDS]

Smoking in the flightdeck is totally unacceptable anyone who does it does not belong there period.

[robash]

I completely agree that smoking on the flight deck is unacceptable.

Can I just point out that my posts regarding the legal standpoint of smoking on an aircraft are as much for the benefit of passengers as crew.

[blue monday]

How can you call an airplane a public place when it is parked on a secured and limited access ramp.

If its a ramp at a UK Airfield then it is classed as a workplace and so covered by the HSAWA (Health and Safety at Work Act) 1974.

Legislation can contridict its self but HASAWA will take precedent over the Smoke free regulations as its an Act as opposed to a regulation.

[Pace]

>Pace,

The most dangerous thing you could do is put your oxygen on when your colleague is smoking! I assume you were joking when you said that.<

Tempilot.

No it was not my colleague smoking in the cockpit but the aircraft owner in the back.

My female co-pilot resented it so much she put the oxgen mask on to make a point to the owner but sadly was never used again.

If an owner wants to smoke in his /her own private aircraft it is hard to stop them.

But NO the owner was not up in the cockpit near the oxygen

Pace

[Lightheart]

Our aircraft came out of maintenance the other day and the filters from the mixing plenum were black. The rags from wiping the inside of the out-flow valve contained brown tar/nicotine.

It was disgusting. The Chief Pilot wanted evidence and he's got it. But he's the main culprit. Had another flight with him yestarday and had to put up with it again.

I'm considering whether it's worth staying in this job to breath in others' smoke.

Trouble is, in Spain, attitudes to smoking are different than in the UK.