Ground preconditioned air? What's that? I'm a spirit guy and I only know what the apu can do for me...

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PCA is deliciously cold air that leaves a magical machine mounted under the jetway at about 50 degrees F and 30 PSI, goes through a 50 foot hose with holes in it, that's twisted like a balloon animal, then enters the mix chamber at about 100 degrees and at 1-3 psi. It's science.

So effing true. My last trip was with a captain that as soon as they hooked power up, reached over and shut off the apu bleed and killed the apu. I finally pointedly started asking him if the air was hooked up. "They are working on it" was always his answer. I gave "them" about 30 seconds and then started it all back up.
Even then at about 70 percent of our stations, it is so hot that it is useless so I have to just fire it all back up anyway.

I absolutely hate it when they do that. [emoji35]


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Amazing, isn't it? I think you're being generous by using 70%.

I've found that PCA alone actually keeps the airplane comfortable once in a while, at best.

I had the pleasure of DHing for over 10 hours a few trips ago. In 5 legs, only 2 of the crews kept the aircraft cool enough for human occupancy. And one of them was a 300 in LAS(!). Cabin temp on the other 3 was well over 90, (one of the 700s was over 100, and yes, I do carry a thermometer, for this reason) and the cockpit crews ignored my texts and relays via the FAs to cool it down. Pax were miserable too.

Most of the FOs are still killing the APU as soon as we get to the gate, even after I brief them not to.

I've gotten out of my seat and went into the cockpit to tell them it's wicked hot. Even had to do a little dual on how to the plane cool. Yeah it may be out of place to do so, but I wouldn't want my grandma or baby on that plane.

Apparently the press has now picked up on this theme...lobbying to punish airlines who allow a cabin to sit at 140degrees waiting for pushback.....

FAA Doesn't Specify How Hot Is Too Hot in a Grounded Airplane - NBC News

Oh yea we got that at Spirit too. I think we have one station that hooks up external air correctly (ie. no kinks in the hose) so I think most guys fire up the APU right after landing and then pook in the APU bleed air button 69 seconds after both engines are shut off.

Of course, there are the guys who open up APU bleed immediately after shutting down the engines, then wonder why suddenly the plane smells like half-burned jet fuel... Give it a minute and it doesn't smell so bad.

I do appreciate the CAs who turn off APU bleed when I go outside for the walk-around. I don't turn it off myself because FO (right?) but its nice knowing the CA cares enough to double-check that I turned on the parking brake and is willing to help me save my hearing by turning off the APU bleed for the few minutes it takes for the walk-around.

I'd support that. Maybe then we'd have jet bridge cooling and gate air that worked before the summer started not att he end of the 3rd quarter

The "middle of market" concept
looks alot like a 757...released by Boeing in Paris this Summer.
http://uschnews.com/wp-content/uploa...-airliner.jpeg