Exitrowaisle From United States of America, joined May 2000, 262 posts, RR: 0 Posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 1790 times:
I apologize if this has been asked before, but I am really interested if there is a specific answer, and thought airline maintenance folks may know.
Everyone knows that smell right as you board a commercial aircraft, be it turboprop or jet. It's not quite jet fuel, not quite coffee, not quite air freshener. It makes the air feel very "close" and synthetic. Can anyone tell me exactly what that is? Does it have something to do with the pressurized air in the cabin? Or am I really just confused as to what jet fuel smells like? Why does that exact same odor seem to be on every aircraft regardless of airline or type?
Cancidas From Poland, joined Jul 2003, 4112 posts, RR: 13 Reply 1, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 1753 times:
all of the obove, mixed together plus other ingreident. try vomit, dirty feet, dirty diapers, rotten food, jet a, 100ll, etc... use your imagination, it's in there!
"...cannot the kingdom of salvation take me home."
Srbmod From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 16888 posts, RR: 51 Reply 2, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 1712 times:
Maybe one of those tree-shaped air fresheners you hang from your rearview mirror should be mandatory equipment on a/c. While we're at it, how about some fuzzy dice, a dancing hula girl, and a bobblehead chihuahua.
DL_Mech From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 1761 posts, RR: 10 Reply 4, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 1629 times:
I believe that the dry-cleaning solution used to clean the seat covers has a lot to do with the smell.
It's not going to the Moon.....It's just going to California
WestJetYYZ From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 1508 times:
I think I've got it down exactly. In no particular order...
- jet fuel
- hydraulic fluid
- stale coffee
- mint chewing gum
- re-circulated air
- lav spray
- leather
- plastic
- cookies/pretzels.
AA61hvy From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 13975 posts, RR: 59 Reply 6, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 1487 times:
BR715-A1-30 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 1406 times:
Somebody ought to write a letter to SC Johnson Wax, and ask them to produce an air freshener (In the tree form) and call it AIRPLANE. It would smell exactly like an airplane. Who's game to sign a petition ?
FredT From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2002, 2184 posts, RR: 26 Reply 9, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 1342 times:
Ramp rat sweat. F/As just love it when you leave a puddle of it behind by the galley/fwd cargo in the F50s.
Just kidding, of course. They were always nice even though they had to stand in it afterwards. Many cans of coke and bottles of Evian were handed out on hot days.
I hear cleaning out the pressurisation valves isn't the nicest job available. Especially not while smoking was still allowed. That, and the shape of air filters, insulation and so on, gives an idea.
Cheers,
Fred
I thought I was doing good trying to avoid those airport hotels... and look at me now.
Goboeing From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 2630 posts, RR: 12 Reply 10, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 1316 times:
I love that smell of a commercial jet.
The aerobatic planes I flew reeked of fuel. I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with the 100LL that leaked out of the fuel cap in front of the windshield during the inverted systems check and into the cabin. But, that's just a guess.
Undies737 From Australia, joined Aug 2003, 58 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 1 day ago) and read 1248 times:
exitrowaisle,
The protective coating on the compressor blades is what I think is the cause of that smell.
Unfortunately theres not much that can be done as all air for bleed services is tapped off downstream of the compressor, & the fact heat will amplify the fumes/odors.
Jet fuel is kerosene, smells similar to deisel.
Aircond pack uses pressured air from the engine for pressurisation (unlike cars using an electric fan to pump air out the vents).
Its actually a much better system than using a refrigerent type.
In an aircraft, the air is constantly renewed with conditioned, outside air.
Airconds in buildings & vehicles run efficiently cos they are conditioning the already conditioned air (recirc).
Heres a speil of what goes on.
The air leaves (bleed air) the engine diffuser (after compressor stages/immediately before burner section) under pressure @ over 260degreesC.
It is then delivered as is, to the aircond pack/s & other bleed services - ie. ice protection, eng starting.
There aircond pack cools this hot/high pressure air through 2 stages: 1- primary heat exchanger - ram air being the cooling medium, 2- air cycle machine - utilising remaining heat energy of the partially cooled air to spin the turbine (drives a fan to cycle ambient air over heat exchanger), thus cooling the air further.
From here it travel through a water separator, to a mixing chamber (where hot bleed air is added as required to maintain set temp) before being delivered to the cabin as conditioned air.
I guess I got a bit side tracked there, but hope this will give you a better idea of where that odor could be coming from
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