"You don't need to catch a disease when you fly." -Diana Fairechild

HOME . WORKSHOPS . EXPERT WITNESS . CONSULTING . FEAR OF FLYING . BOOKS . TV . RADIO . FREE TIPS . CONTACT


Safe Flying

	Reuters News Service, Arthur Spiegelman "Dedicated former 'stew' Diana Fairechild says she acted as a private detective quite a few times, thinking up reasons to sneak into the cockpit to see if the pilots had reduced the airflow for passengers while maintaining it for themselves. She could check the airflow by glancing at the position of a series of toggles on the control panel. Reducing the airflow for passengers is part of what Fairechild called 'the budget monster.'" J.R., Passenger and Hazardous Material Container Inspector "As a passenger on a 727 on a major airline from Oklahoma City to Philadelphia, I heard this beeping noise. I was joking with my friend about someone's pager going off. After a while of beeping, it turned out that it was my Oxygen Indicator sounding its alarm. The oxygen meter I carry lets me know if the oxygen level drops below 19.5 percent, which is supposed to be the borderline of sustaining human life. Personal indications of oxygen deficiency are dizziness, light headedness, and goofy feelings. During the whole flight of three hours, my meter sounded its alarm; the only way we have of turning it off is to get out of the hazardous environment."




	J-Wave Radio, Japan Jon Kabira "Diana Fairechild says 'First Class passengers get three times more air than passengers in economy.' Wow! This is news. This is definitely news for us." Business Week, Pam Black "Diana Fairechild says pilots control the air."

Cabin Air On Airplanes
By Diana Fairechild, a.k.a. "Flyana The JetLag Genie"

CHICKEN POX, DIPHTHERIA, H1N1, INFLUENZA, MEASLES, MENINGITIS, PNEUMONIA, SARS, SMALLPOX, THE COMMON COLD, TUBERCULOSIS, WHOOPING COUGH

REDUCING PASSENGERS' FRESH AIR

Airlines reduce the passengers' fresh air to save money. Pilots reduce the fresh air in the passenger cabins, but not for themselves in the cockpit. The amount of oxygen-rich, fresh air the pilots get is believed adequate to keep them clear-headed for the safety of the airplane.

A case can be made that the low-oxygen, recirculated air that passengers breathe can make them woozy, grumpy and vulnerable to catching contagious diseases.

According to the book, The Airliner Cabin Environment (National Academy Press, page 43), when the pilots cut back on air, these pilots get ten times more fresh air than economy passengers get. This happens every day on many airlines.

A study of office buildings found that the transmission of contagious diseases increases significantly when a large percentage of air is recirculated. It seems logical to apply this finding to the airline cabin environment.

Letter to Flyana from a Flight Attendant, Mar'02: "On full flights we have people fainting. I call the cockpit to ask them to turn the recirculation fans OFF. Most times I am met with some kind of resistance. 'Does someone have a headache?’ they will ask. I will ask them if someone needs to have a headache because, by then, he or she is already oxygen deprived!'”

Letter to Flyana from a Passenger, Jan'01: “I have been following your advice for years, asking the pilots for less recirculated air. One time, a JAL captain told me that he would do his best, but next time I should ask in advance so they could put on more fuel. I know you said to ask after takeoff but, on my next flight on American, I asked in advance. Within 5 minutes, I was told to get off the plane. American let me fly the next day with a note from my doctor saying: ‘The above is medically cleared to fly regardless of the air control settings.’”

FLYANA'S TIPS REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION OF CONTAGIOUS DISEASES ON AIRPLANES

Though using all the fresh air available on board isn't going to eliminate the transmission of contagious diseases in aircraft cabins, it will very likely reduce the transmission of contagious diseases on board.

Passengers seated closest to the contagious individual are most at risk. There are other considerations, as well, including:
• If the contagious passenger coughs while walking around the aircraft, for example, to the lavatory;
• Where the contagious passenger is seated in relation to the aircraft's air vents;
• The flight time;
• The number of passengers on board.

TIP1: Since contagious diseases can spread on board when we cough, sneeze and talk, it's obvious that you will be less at risk if you cover your nose and mouth. I like to use a simple cotton handkerchief because I can rinse it out with soap and hot water in flight and after landing. Also, on board, I saturate the hankie with my own drinking water to humidify my personal breathing space.

TIP 2: Carry a disposable, surgical mask in your bag in case someone on board is coughing a lot. Present this individual with the mask, perhaps saying something like you understand they would probably want to wear one of these in order to help cut down on the transmission of their disease. I recommend this for others because a packaged mask might be more amenable to others. I do not recommend this for passengers who want to cover their own noses on a regular basis because I've found that the disposable masks have chemicals in them that are used for stiffening, and it is not healthy to breathe these chemicals on a regular basis, or even for a little if one is sensitive to these chemicals.

ADDITIONAL PRACTICAL AND INTRIGUING STRATEGIES FOR AIRLINE PASSENGERS ARE OFFERED IN FLYANA WORKSHOPS & CONSULTATIONS

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.