4 ms·

The author's DEN-LHR flight was on a Boeing 787 aircraft, which use electrically-powered air compressors [0]. They do not draw air from the engine. 787 mainta

The author's DEN-LHR flight was on a Boeing 787 aircraft, which use electrically-powered air compressors [0]. They do not draw air from the engine. 787 maintain internal air pressure equivalent to 6,000 feet of elevation. All other commercial aircraft maintain 8,000 feet air pressure. I think most of my discomfort from long flights is due to altitude sickness. The only time I have slept on a long flight and awakened refreshed was on a 787. Jet engines use a neuro-toxic lubricant. Occasionally, some of this enters the cabin through the compressed air feed and poisons the passengers [1]. 787 passengers don't have this risk because the planes don't draw air from engines. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_787_Dreamliner#Interior https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_787_Dreamliner#Interior [1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24713335/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24713335/

Baeocystin 4y ago
I sometimes take commuter flights between San Jose and San Diego, which are almost always Southwest 737's, and I've only seen 6,000 feet on the barometer when I've checked, probably about half a dozen times out of curiosity. FWIW.
MichaelZuo 4y ago
So then what explains the mysterious lack of air circulation during takeoffs on the 787?
- pifm_guy 4y ago
  Probably just the pilot didn't flick the switch for it while he was having his coffee break while the passengers were boarding. I'd bet if you can get a few popular newspapers to write articles about this with scary headlines ('Airline nearly suffocates passengers - and doesn't even apologize!'), then airlines will remind pilots not to do that...
  - MichaelZuo 4y ago
    But for half an hour? That seems like quite a long time to ignore an obvious item on the flight checklist.
Reason077 4y ago
> "I think most of my discomfort from long flights is due to altitude sickness." Seems unlikely. Actual altitude sickness is generally considered to occur only above 8000 ft, and above 10000 ft is where the real risk begins. Symptoms generally don't appear until 12-24 hours after climbing to altitude. Also, risk of altitude sickness increases with physical exertion, and you're probably not doing much of that on a plane!
pistoriusp 4y ago
Maybe stress related?

Baeocystin 4y ago

I sometimes take commuter flights between San Jose and San Diego, which are almost always Southwest 737's, and I've only seen 6,000 feet on the barometer when I've checked, probably about half a dozen times out of curiosity. FWIW.

MichaelZuo 4y ago

So then what explains the mysterious lack of air circulation during takeoffs on the 787?

pifm_guy 4y ago
Probably just the pilot didn't flick the switch for it while he was having his coffee break while the passengers were boarding. I'd bet if you can get a few popular newspapers to write articles about this with scary headlines ('Airline nearly suffocates passengers - and doesn't even apologize!'), then airlines will remind pilots not to do that...
- MichaelZuo 4y ago
  But for half an hour? That seems like quite a long time to ignore an obvious item on the flight checklist.

Reason077 4y ago

> "I think most of my discomfort from long flights is due to altitude sickness." Seems unlikely. Actual altitude sickness is generally considered to occur only above 8000 ft, and above 10000 ft is where the real risk begins. Symptoms generally don't appear until 12-24 hours after climbing to altitude. Also, risk of altitude sickness increases with physical exertion, and you're probably not doing much of that on a plane!

pistoriusp 4y ago

Maybe stress related?