How do planes maintain cabin pressure?

To maintain the pressure in the cabin equal to that at low altitude, even while the airplane is at 30,000 feet, the incoming air is held within the cabin by opening and closing an outflow valve, which releases the incoming air at a rate regulated by pressure sensors.



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Is it at all even possible for it to just drop? According to my company's training materials, an FAA study in the 1960s of depressurization events in business, airline, and military jet transport aircraft determined that the odds of experiencing cabin depressurization were one in 54300 flight hours.

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The reduction in air pressure reduces the flow of oxygen across lung tissue and into the human bloodstream. A significant reduction in the normal concentration of oxygen in the bloodstream is called Hypoxia.

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Federal Aviation Regulations say that without pressurization, pilots begin to need oxygen when they fly above 12,500 feet for more than 30 minutes, and passengers have to use it continuously above 15,000.

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If the plane is somehow kept pressurized, the cabin pressure is usually equivalent of 6000–8000 ft, which is lower pressure than the outside at sea level. Which means as soon as you unlock the door, it will swing inwards with a lot of force, as air from outside rushes in to re-pressurize the cabin.

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This valve controls the cabin pressure and also acts as a safety relief valve, in addition to other safety relief valves. If the automatic pressure controllers fail, the pilot can manually control the cabin pressure valve, according to the backup emergency procedure checklist.

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The Cabin Altitude of a pressurised aircraft is normally maintained at and altitude of 8,000 ft or less as a compromise between the physiological needs of the crew and passengers and the structural limitations of the aircraft. At 8,000 ft the use of supplemental oxygen is not required.

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On the ground, the airplane is unpressurized and the outflow valve is wide open. During preflight, the pilot sets the cruise altitude on a cabin pressure controller. As soon as the weight is off the main wheels at takeoff, the outflow valve begins to close and the cabin starts to pressurize.

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On average, you will find most commercial airliners flying anywhere from about 31,000 feet to 42,000 feet. That is equivalent to 5.9 to 7.2 miles in the air. Smaller aircraft, whether commercially operated or not, will fly at lower altitudes, often below 15,000 feet.

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Many airlines provide crew rest areas on their aircraft, where pilots can sleep during long-haul flights. These areas are usually located in the tail, cargo area or above the cabin of the plane and are designed to be as quiet and comfortable as possible. Other crew members prefer to use business class seats to rest.

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Pilots use the same bathroom as the passengers, much to the delight of the younger (and sometimes older) people on board! They also eat and drink during flights - usually being served beverages and their meals in the cockpit by the cabin crew.

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Fatigue is particularly prevalent among pilots because of unpredictable work hours, long duty periods, circadian disruption, and insufficient sleep. These factors can occur together to produce a combination of sleep deprivation, circadian rhythm effects, and 'time-on task' fatigue.

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Why do the flight attendants touch the overhead compartment so often? Flight attendants don't just touch the ceiling for fun when they walk; the bottom of the overhead compartment has a scalloped area that provides a better grip when walking down a moving airplane.

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Harrowing video shows the moment a plane's door burst open during a flight over Brazil, causing the aircraft to make an emergency landing. The passengers and crew received medical assistance, but there were no serious injuries, the airport said.

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No emergency door can be accidentally opened by passengers. They are all automatically locked from the cockpit before you ever board, and in any case in flight they can't be opened due to the pressure differential inside and outside the plane.

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