are airplanes cold

Are Airplanes Cold - Okay, picture this: you've checked your bags, packed your carry-on luggage with you, and are on a flight to your next destination, whether it's a fun mini-vacation with the family or an important business trip. When you Sitting in your seat, looking out of the plane's round window as the chilly cabin air hits your face—and before you know it, you're freezing. Grab a sweatshirt or a blanket and ask yourself, "Why are planes so cold?"

It's a well-known fact that cabin temperatures tend to be cooler on airplanes, but why? We did some digging and found the cause. Find out what you might do on a plane that a flight attendant won't after reading the creepy explanation.

Are Airplanes Cold

It turns out this isn't just an unusual feature of the plane - there's a medical reason why it's cold. ASTM International conducted a study looking at the correlation between passing out in the air and cabin pressure and temperature. They found that people were more likely to pass out while flying due to a medical condition called hypoxia. It happens when body tissues don't get enough oxygen - a response that is facilitated by high cabin pressure and warm temperatures. This is common among airline passengers.

Taking Off Aircraft At The Airport Stock Image

Since body temperatures vary, airlines keep temperatures low for safety reasons. Unfortunately for anyone who shiveres from even the slightest breeze, it's better to wear layers than the person next to you to pass out. Make sure you always follow these rules of etiquette when flying.

AeroTime Hub reports that the plane's temperature typically stays between 22°C and 24°C (or roughly 71°F and 75°F). Looks warm enough, doesn't it? Well, it seemed colder than usual for some seated passengers. If they're moving around on the plane, they're likely to sweat more without feeling cold.

This begs another question: who controls the temperature on the plane? According to Scandinavian Airlines flight attendant Josephine Remo, both the pilot and the flight attendant can control the cabin temperature. Remo also said that each airline has its own standards for cabin temperature.

While the thermostat is usually located in the cockpit, Deanna Castro, a 16-year flight attendant and founder of Future Flight Attendant, said many newer planes have control panels that flight attendants can use to control the cabin temperature. "We prefer that because we don't have to keep calling the pilots to try and get the temperature right," Castro explained.

Icing: The Cold, Hard (air) Facts

Seems like there will be some kind of federal regulation on cabin temperature, right? Well, not really — Castro says some flight attendants want a set rule. “Our union, the AFA [Association of Flight Attendants], is working on federal temperature regulations, but at this time the FAA has not issued any rules or guidance on temperature.”

Then learn about other unique airplane facts like what happens when you flush an airplane toilet, how high an airplane actually flies, and what certain airplane sounds mean.

Kelly Kuehn is an associate editor for Reader's Digest, covering entertainment, trivia and history. When she's not writing, you can find her watching the latest and greatest movies, listening to a true crime podcast (or two), playing '90s music, and walking dog Ryker in the Finger Lakes.

We no longer support IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide a website experience for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Usually a flight home, still wearing shorts and flip flops, noticing how frigid the temperature was on the plane. No, this isn't an elaborate attempt by the airline to help passengers reacclimate to the frigid Blighty rain in anticipation, but rather a normative effort to ensure maximum comfort throughout the cabin.

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Aircraft temperatures generally remain between 22°C and 24°C, about the same as most office environments maintain, with the extremes of the range between 18°C ​​and 27°C. Such temperatures may seem reasonable, but it's important to remember that travelers rarely move during the summer, so they warm themselves up a bit and feel overwhelmingly cold as a result.

In general, it's all about making the cabin comfortable. In a report commissioned by the UK House of Lords, Airbus explained: "Passengers dissipate considerable heat in a full cabin. If this temperature is to be maintained, the incoming air must be equal to or lower than that required in the cabin. temperature."

The French planemaker added that while there's no way to control the height of individual seats - apart from small air-conditioning nozzles above them - crews can adjust the temperature by "zone".

Boeing, Airbus' US rival, told the House of Lords committee that crews often vary the cabin temperature based on statements from passengers, however, adding that "because passengers are usually resting and crews are working, their perceptions of thermal comfort It could be different."

Cold Weather Operations

The report also cited complaints from some passengers who accused the crew of "improper settings" to encourage passengers to sleep after meals.

The in-flight chill is often in stark contrast to the pre-flight conditions. That's because aircraft air conditioning is often turned off before takeoff to save fuel, so the body heat of many people quickly warms up the cabin.

Larger, heavier planes sometimes need power from the air conditioner to take off, which is why they don't start until the plane has climbed to the right altitude.

A more scientific reason why planes stay so cold comes from a study by the American Society for Testing and Materials, which found that more people would pass out in warm cabins due to lack of oxygen, a health condition common to airplane passengers situation. It happens when body tissues don't get enough oxygen.

The Real Reason Why Flight Attendants Make The Plane Cold

In fact, in Dallas, an American Airlines flight attendant reportedly passed out on an overheated plane.

The industry standard maximum temperature is 90˚F or 32.2˚C, however, as summers are really hot, it's rare to encounter that temperature.

Remember, it's easier to add more layers than to remove them without getting arrested for public obscenity.

Patrick Smith, author of Cockpit Confidential and The Pilot, writes: "If passengers have one very valid complaint, it's dryness. In fact, the typical cabin is very dry and dehydrated. The humidity here is about 12 percent, more than most deserts. dry.

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"It's mostly a byproduct of cruising at high altitudes, where moisture levels are somewhere between low and non-existent."

Smith went on to argue that cabin humidification appears to be a solution, but such equipment is expensive and the resulting increase in humidity is both negligible and potentially corrosive to the interior of the fuselage.

The space to store luggage and your beloved pets is under pressure just like the cabin. Doug Morris, an Air Canada Airbus A320 pilot, explained that the same air used for cabin air conditioning is used for storage.

"A lot of people were surprised to hear that the cargo hold in the belly of the plane was under pressure," he said. “The conditioned air is exhausted from the cabin so it tends to be slightly cooler when it reaches the cargo area, which is also less insulated than the cabin. Cargo temperatures in our fleet vary. The Boeing 767 is kept at 7˚C Above, but bulk compartments (where animals are transported) can be heated above 18˚C.

Physics Explains Why You Can Never Open A Plane Door Mid Flight

Since the people who ran into the plane at the last moment and hid in the wheel arches were not in the pressurized cabin, they were exposed to wind and rain. The higher you fly, the colder it gets, all the way up to 40,000 feet. If the temperature on the ground is 20˚C, it will be -57˚C at an altitude of 40,000 feet. At 35,000 feet, the air temperature is about -54˚C. Few can survive such temperatures.

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