Afay1 From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 1293 posts, RR: 3 Posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 3177 times:
I have flown on several versions of the TU-154, Tu-134, and IL-86 and they all have a distinct cabin smell common to all of them. Western planes usually smell like Jet-A initially and/or whatever food/coffee is cooking. Soooo, since the Russian plane smell is so instantly recognizeable (and not at all bad), what is the cause of it?
HikesWithEyes From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 816 posts, RR: 8 Reply 1, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 3109 times:
Body odor. I may be flamed for saying this, but the Russian sense of
hygiene is different than that of the Western World.
When SU flew out of SFO you could smell the check-in line halfway through
the connecting tunnel from the south terminal to the international terminal.
Afay1 From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 1293 posts, RR: 3 Reply 3, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 3045 times:
It is not body odor, the smell even comes out of the fans on the IL-86. It must be some material; I don't remember smelling it on Russian-operated Boeing aircraft. It is very hard to describe the smell, if I could, I would know what it was
2H4 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 8950 posts, RR: 62 Reply 5, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 3036 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD DATABASE EDITOR
Reminds me of old Volkswagen Beetles. They all seem to have the same unique interior scent. It's not objectionable or bad....just unique.
MrChips From Canada, joined Mar 2005, 912 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 3011 times:
Quoting 2H4 (Reply 5): Reminds me of old Volkswagen Beetles. They all seem to have the same unique interior scent. It's not objectionable or bad....just unique.
More than just the Beetles - every German car smells the same. To me, it is kind of a sweet but ever so slightly acrid smell. All the VWs my family owned, my Merc and the Porsche 911 my father used to own smelled like this.
HAWK21M From India, joined Jan 2001, 31228 posts, RR: 58 Reply 7, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 2887 times:
Quoting 2H4 (Reply 5): Reminds me of old Volkswagen Beetles. They all seem to have the same unique interior scent. It's not objectionable or bad....just unique.
The Taxi's in Mumbai have a Particular Smell.Due to the Seat Material used.
In the Russian Aircraft case.Its probably similiar.
EHRD From Netherlands, joined Jun 2005, 65 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 2869 times:
I know exactly what you mean. That is a typical Eastern European smell. Two years ago I was on a Tupolev 154 (first time on an Russian airliner) and was surprised by the smell when I entered the plane. I was expecting an typical "airliner smell" but this reminded me to old Polish and Russian trains, buses and ships which had the same smell about 20 years ago. I think it has to do with the materials they use in Eastern-Europe.
ORDagent From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 823 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 2835 times:
IIRC the Russian designers tended to use less synthetic fibres in the contstruction of padding/carpets etc to cut down on toxic fumes in case of a fire. I remember the one time I saw and IL-62 from Tarom a lot of the serfuces in the lav etc were metal when the are plastics on the Boeing / Airbii.
Aogdesk From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 933 posts, RR: 4 Reply 10, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 2834 times:
I only flew Aeroflot once many years ago, but there was DEFINITELY a strong body odor smell. Took a few days once in Moscow to get used to it.
I know this smell. My grandparent's were Eastern European and their clothes/apartment had this smell. I think it partly has to do with body chemistry and the type of food eaten.
Just like when you walk into a Chinese household, it most always smells of fish and rice.
Supported the beer and soda can industry, recycle old airplanes!
HAWK21M From India, joined Jan 2001, 31228 posts, RR: 58 Reply 12, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 2823 times:
Quoting Aogdesk (Reply 10): I only flew Aeroflot once many years ago, but there was DEFINITELY a strong body odor smell. Took a few days once in Moscow to get used to it.
Interesting.Isn't Air Freshners regulary sprayed.Also could be the Aircraft was AOG for some time prior.
regds
MEL
Jetlagged From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2005, 2462 posts, RR: 17 Reply 13, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 2820 times:
My only experience of Aeroflot was many years ago, when they still had the CCCP registration prefix. However the smell reminded me of just one thing, as I had recent experience of it on a small boat: chemical toilet fluid. I suspected the plumbing on a Tu-154 might be different from usual the western system, although the toilets themselves were certainly clean. The smell was the same on each of the flights I took. Peculiar but not unpleasant.
Quoting HikesWithEyes (Reply 1): Body odor. I may be flamed for saying this, but the Russian sense of hygiene is different than that of the Western World.
Have you even met many Russians? Or did you get that nugget of information from an unbiassed source, like Fox News . My own experience of Russians, both at home and abroad, is that they are no more or no less careful with personal hygiene than any other nationality.
National "odours" come from diet much more than hygiene, anyway.
The glass isn't half empty, or half full, it's twice as big as it needs to be.
Afay1 From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 1293 posts, RR: 3 Reply 14, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 2714 times:
Well, having lived in Russia for several years, I can say that Russian males in general sometimes smell like BO, especially in the summer. Just ride a crowded bus in mid-July for a good whiff. Dandruf is also common as there is an old Russian superstition about washing one's hair more than once a week makes it fall out. This is much more common in the provinces, however.
The plane smell has nothing to do with it in this case. Sheremetyevo I and II have their own Russian-ish smell as well (which is also not BO).
Jetlagged From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2005, 2462 posts, RR: 17 Reply 15, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 2705 times:
Quoting Afay1 (Reply 14): I can say that Russian males in general sometimes smell like BO
Point taken. Though to be pedantic "smell like BO" is a tautology. I didn't spend years there, and it was in the Communist era. I also had no desire to get too close to Russian males. Perhaps the State stopped providing deodorant?
The glass isn't half empty, or half full, it's twice as big as it needs to be.
Afay1 From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 1293 posts, RR: 3 Reply 16, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 2700 times:
You caught me, it is indeed a mistake as odor is part of the acronym. Actually, the dissolution of the USSR was a disaster for public personal hygenie as most of the municipal banyas (saunas) closed, making it harder for poor people to stay clean. I am not too bothered by BO, so of the things that are difficult for foreigners in Russia, that was not one of them.
Actually, some Russians complain that the US doesn't seem real because (among other things) it doesn't "smell" like anything. I do have Russia flashbacks whenever I smell especially strong truck exhaust, catch a whiff of a trainyard, or smell some combinations of foods. They are pleasant memories actually...
HikesWithEyes From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 816 posts, RR: 8 Reply 17, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 2638 times:
Quoting Jetlagged (Reply 13): Have you even met many Russians? Or did you get that nugget of information from an unbiassed source, like Fox News . My own experience of Russians, both at home and abroad, is that they are no more or no less careful
I speak from experience. I was in the jetway for the inaugural KHV-SFO SU
flight and everyone reeled when the door was opened.
I also flew GDX-KHV in an IL62, and it was not a pleasant experience.
And forget the Fox news crap.
MarkHKG From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 960 posts, RR: 2 Reply 19, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 2605 times:
MEL,
BO = Body Odor
Release your seat-belts and get out! Leave everything!
Starlionblue From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15904 posts, RR: 66 Reply 20, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 2573 times:
Quoting HAWK21M (Reply 12): Isn't Air Freshners regulary sprayed.
Aren't air fresheners a problem due to allergies? They certainly make my nose crinkle. Personally, I think air fresheners are a way for people to avoid proper cleaning. They mask odors.
Quoting Afay1 (Reply 14): Dandruf is also common as there is an old Russian superstition about washing one's hair more than once a week makes it fall out.
Interestingly, washing your hair too much can lead to dandruff. It's all in how dry the scalp is. The correct shampoo and conditioner for your hair and scalp are more important than frequency.
Having said that, it's a long time since I used shampoo and conditioner. Like 5 years or so.
Quoting Afay1 (Reply 16): Actually, some Russians complain that the US doesn't seem real because (among other things) it doesn't "smell" like anything.
Lol. I find the US full of artificial smells from so called air fresheners. I miss the clean smell of Scandinavia sometimes. Just soap and water, like...
"There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots." - from Citadel by John Ringo
Jetlagged From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2005, 2462 posts, RR: 17 Reply 21, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 2548 times:
Quoting HikesWithEyes (Reply 17): I speak from experience. I was in the jetway for the inaugural KHV-SFO SU
flight and everyone reeled when the door was opened.
I also flew GDX-KHV in an IL62, and it was not a pleasant experience.
And forget the Fox news crap.
That's it? Two experiences?
I should imagine any airliner cabin might be a little toastie after such a long flight. No one, Russian or not, gets a chance to clean up properly. Of course if they aren't too clean to start with....
My three Aeroflot flights were in the communist era, no particular BO issues I can recall. You see a lot of Russian tourists in Europe these days, again, no unusual BO problems. Maybe the tourists are rich enough to afford western toiletries.
Sorry about the Fox News jibe, but the BO comment you made is the kind of sweeping statement I'd expect to hear from one of their more biassed commentators. At least we agree that the three words Fox, news and crap belong together
The glass isn't half empty, or half full, it's twice as big as it needs to be.
HikesWithEyes From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 816 posts, RR: 8 Reply 23, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 2516 times:
No, I had to deal with SU and their pax on a regular basis.
Everytime there was a flight going out, and pax were lining up at the
counter you would have the same smell.
Jetlagged From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2005, 2462 posts, RR: 17 Reply 24, posted (6 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 2415 times:
Quoting HikesWithEyes (Reply 23): No, I had to deal with SU and their pax on a regular basis.
Everytime there was a flight going out, and pax were lining up at the
counter you would have the same smell.
Some people get all the good jobs
The glass isn't half empty, or half full, it's twice as big as it needs to be.
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