Hot Aircraft

[laxtwin]

On June 4 I travelled Aus-Phx-Bur. When the flight arrived in Aus I heard the passengers getting off say things about the hot airplane. Sitting on it getting ready to depart to Phoenix is did get pretty warm and didn't cool off until we had been flying for about 10 min. The plane in Phoenix was like an oven. Even the flight attendants were fanning themselves as they walked up and down the aisle. The pilot made an announcement that the cooling system was on, but that in "this heat it sn't going to help much." Taxiing to the runway the a/c started to work.
I was raised in Phoenix and flew from Sky Harbor every summer in the 60's. 70's and 80's and I never was hot or even uncomfortable before. Does the new US Airways not think this is an issue? It doesn't do any good to get people to their destination on time if they need to shower and change before doing anything.
Thanks.
p.s. Arriving in Phx on 6/2 the flight attendant made an announcement asking that everyone pull down the window shades to keep the plane cooler for the next flight. Never heard that before.

 

[robbedagain]

it could have been more likt an aircondition problem or possibly the apu problem

 

[USCREW]

I was raised in Phoenix and flew from Sky Harbor every summer in the 60's. 70's and 80's and I never was hot or even uncomfortable before.

It's incredible that you were never hot in three decades of flying out of PHX! B)

 

[hp_fa]

Arriving in Phx on 6/2 the flight attendant made an announcement asking that everyone pull down the window shades to keep the plane cooler for the next flight. Never heard that before.

The shades down announcemet is used at PHX and LAS, is seasonal and about four years old. Usually something like May-Sept.

Depending on the flight and wether a flight crew is staying with the plane or pilots are connecting from another flight, the APU might of might not be turned on. If pilots are not in the plane the APU is supposed to be off, and with it the AC. That leaves ground AC from the jetways and that often doesn't work, or is overwhelmed by the heat. US is not responsible for jetway AC maintenance in PHX. That is done by the City of Phoenix.

Trust me, the crews have it worse. They are on the aircraft 15 minutes before thefirst pax and usually the AC is not on at that point and it gets cooled down a bit before the pax arrive. Plus, the crew is constantly moving about while the pax get seated and stay relatively inactive.

All in all, not fun.

 

[cageyjames]

Arriving in Phx on 6/2 the flight attendant made an announcement asking that everyone pull down the window shades to keep the plane cooler for the next flight. Never heard that before.

WN asks that also from time to time. Not a bad policy if you ask me for every airline in the desert. I think those new windows on the 787 would help in this situation, but until I get to sit in one in the summer I'll hold off that assumption.

I was raised in Phoenix and flew from Sky Harbor every summer in the 60's. 70's and 80's and I never was hot or even uncomfortable before.

Global Warming? :blink:

 

[FWAAA]

AA and AE flight attendants have requested that pax lower their window shades upon arrival in Texas cities in the summertime for at least several years. Very common at DFW.

 

[USCREW]

The shades down announcemet is used at PHX and LAS, is seasonal and about four years old. Usually something like May-Sept.

Very common practice on US east side; especially in the caribbean.

 

[javaboy]

115 degrees is HOT on the ramp thats gotta be closer to 130. airplanes just can not cool it down even if they lowered it 30 degrees (low power settings both packs) your still talking 85 degrees inside plus sun beating down on plane. 85% of the heat is in the visable light spectrum so cooling the plane down with all the shades up stresses the system even more.

 

[732guy]

Don't know. US Airways said one reason they are repainting the entire fleet (new for East planes) white instead of blue so they'll keep cooler. Since most a/c in PHX and LAS are already West aircraft with white paint, seems like things should be crisp and cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LCC_#1]

Just a f/a, but it sounds like an air pack problem. We just had that happen on our 757 the other day. Anyone? Pilots?

 

[BoeingBoy]

Could be an apu inop. That'd require a ground source of cooling air (either a ground unit to supply cooled air or high pressure air to run a pack). The cabin would get hot at the gate with no/poor ground cooling and wouldn't get cool until after takeoff. A dead giveaway would be if they started one/both engines at the gate before pushing back.

FWIW, I've been told that 100 people generate enough body heat to heat a small house in the winter (NC winter, that is). Since a narrowbody airplane has less interior volume than a small house, it stands to reason that cooling on the ground can be a problem in the summer.

Jim

 

[exB717Flyer]

SOP at PHX and LAS is to plug in external cold air. The PHX ground air is insufficient above 80 degrees or so. LAS air works pretty well. I'm a northener and I hate heat.

BTW, if you think it's hot in back add twenty degrees for the cockpit.

 

[Travelpro72]

Hey I thought the purpose of painting all these east a/c white was to keep them cool? I have been on plenty and I mean plenty east 757's that are cool at the gate in vegas. Just was on one today and was fine. Vegas was 106 today. Hmmmm <_<

 

[LCC_#1]

Hey I thought the purpose of painting all these east a/c white was to keep them cool? I have been on plenty and I mean plenty east 757's that are cool at the gate in vegas. Just was on one today and was fine. Vegas was 106 today. Hmmmm <_<

They HAVE to keep them cool to cut down on the constant smell of cat pee! What's up with that smell?

 

[Fly4Free]

Oh my. This person obviously hasn't been in Phoenix for the last week. My AC at my ~400 square feet apt can barely keep the temp in here 80F. That's COOL compared to the 110F temps we've had recently!

As far as that airplane, who knows how long it was sitting on the tarmac before it became occupied! Of course it'll become an oven in 110F heat! Just like a car.

It's a shame the pax had to go through the misery of being in a hot plane though -_- it's like in a car.. waiting til you get on the highway to turn on the AC sometimes so it'll be cooler. (Compared to an airplane in flight...)

*frown* Did you step outside at all or did you stay in the cold AC @ Sky Harbour!