Just want to raise awareness about cabin temperature since it is summertime.

I’ve encountered the following within the last couple weeks:

1. CAs who do not turn on the APU/Packs when the FAs inform them it is hot in the cabin.

2. FOs who are the only pilot onboard afraid to turn on the APU while the FAs are sweating and have asked for air.

3. Pilots who refuse to turn on the APU/Packs when another pilot politely informs them it is hot in the cabin.

The FOM permits APU usage when needed for situations like this. The APU fuel burn is about 300#/hr with two packs and a generator going. Deselecting one pack will yield around 200#/hr and if you’re really concerned you can deselect the APU generator until ready to pull ground power.

Encourage your FAs to crack a door to get some fresh air from time to time, if they aren’t get air fast enough. And let’s remind FOs that they are the PIC if they are the only pilot onboard (god forbid an emergency happens and they fail to take command).

Bottom line is you have enough fuel to turn on the APU even at 45-60 mins prior. If low fuel is a concern, ask for +200#, or more if needed. Burning fuel is always going to be better than denying boarding because the cabin is too hot or having someone pass out.

Just be a decent person, you wouldn’t want to sweat at work, so why should your fellow inflight crew or passengers.

Safe flying, and when in doubt APU on! (unless of course it’s deferred)

 

exactly! if the fueler was hooked up I'd ask them to go 300lbs over Planned which was a nice little buffer, and say you missed them, no issue to call them out on the radio and get another couple hundred pounds put back on. Don't be shy and stay cool!

 

10000% agree and thanks for posting this! I’m not a CA just yet but if I’m the only pilot on board and it’s hot as $&@! I’m cranking that thing. CA gets on and I just say “cranked the APU because it was hot as $&@!.

 

Quick question for those who may have been in a similar situation. CA is running late and as soon as I sit down the plane is already on ground power and hotter than Juarez. I figure I'll start it up and get the plane cooling off... except the fueler is just getting hooked up and doing his business (large uplift for DFW with an alternate so this is going to take a little while). My understanding is that we aren't supposed to change electrical sources during fueling, but are we also precluded from deselecting the APU gen and spinning it for the packs while fueling and leaving it on the GPU until that's taken care of?

I opted not to start it and if there's nothing against doing so, that decision will haunt me for the rest of my days.

 

I don't think you're supposed to start or stop while fueling for risk of a fire. You're also not supposed to change AC power source as well I'm sure for risk of a electrical power surge. FOM has the answers though.

 

To my understanding, AOM 2-12.2 says: The APU "MAY NOT" be started during refueling/defueling.
'MAY NOT' still sound optional to me, and I have been doing it all the time, who knows how long it takes for those fuelers to slack off down there.

Then next sentence says: 'DO NOT' start the APU during refueling/defueling if an APU shutdown or a failed APU start occurred.
That I wont mess with! But it also proves that above is optional. Just my 2 cents.

 

If my airplane is hotter than a bike outside a bar in Tijuana, then I'm starting the APU. Usually it's just the fuel panel that's open anyway when it says 'Door Fueling' or whatever

 

You guys have APUs? Thought deferred APUs were SOP at Trans States Holdings.....

 

if I didn't see the Fuel quantity actually going up then I'd crank it even if the panel door was open.

 

Yes, a miserably hot airplane is no fun. Just curious...Do your guys' FOMs or SOPs give a temperature limitation for the avionics? If the cockpit gets above 95F for us; it's APU on and Cockpit pax on.