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In-flight fire risk and clothing

I’ve been thinking about this lately.

There are a few levels one can operate on:

1. Nothing but Nomex and strong boots
2. Long sleeves, long trousers and gloves, no man-made fibres
3. No man made fibres
4. Anything goes

And perhaps a few variations on those.

From time to time in warmer weather I fly the Vagabond in t-shirt, shorts and flip flops. Some folks tut at this and I am re-thinking it. I avoid man-made fibres, but then I hardly ever wear them anyway.

I am of a mind to tighten my own policy, but when I think about it rationally I tend to think that any change other than a move to Nomex is barely worth doing.

What do people think?

EGLM & EGTN

Light it up and see how it goes? I recall when I did my military training someone claimed his “Colorado Springs Nomex flying suit” will not catch fire, well it did not stand the “zippo lighter fire test” but it did well under the “water bucket test”

I will not wear a flying uniform/suit again but water on my T-shirt or flying naked will do the job for me now

The risk of fires in GA aircraft are:
- Aircraft engine (cut mixture and open wide throttle), now you have a glider
- Cockpit electric switch off but if it get worse not much you can do about it except you have 5min (not 6min) to be on the ground from the time you smell it
- Electronic gadgets, this is the big elephant in the room, maybe ready to sideslip and throw it away from the window?
- After accidents (e.g. gear up, crash,…) these tend to be really tiny IMO

For electronic gadgets never charge them when their battery is higher than 10% should save you overheat problems

Last Edited by Ibra at 14 Jul 10:16
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

Graham wrote:

What do people think?

For me it’s 4.)

I don’t believe there is a significant number of cases where the clothing really makes (or would have made) a difference. Few fires in the cabin should be so broad that your clothes catches fire but still so contained that with the right clothes you can leave the wreck unharmed (or at least living)…

Germany

Malibuflyer wrote:

For me it’s 4.)

I don’t believe there is a significant number of cases where the clothing really makes (or would have made) a difference. Few fires in the cabin should be so broad that your clothes catches fire but still so contained that with the right clothes you can leave the wreck unharmed (or at least living)…

Would the nature of the aircraft change your decision?

I am definitely number 4 in the TB10, but flying a vintage Piper ragwing with the fuel tank right between the engine and me I do wonder whether a different policy is called for?

EGLM & EGTN

Graham wrote:

Would the nature of the aircraft change your decision?

Not sure but don’t think so. Before I would really consider Nomex I would seriously consider if I should fly an airplane where Nomex is a good idea.

The difference between wool/cotton and man made fibers might be between 30 and 60 seconds (time difference between man made fiber catching fire and the inside of cotton pants getting so hot that you will be seriously burnt even if cotton doesn’t catch fire). That’s not so relevant in aviation.

Germany

For me it’s between 2 and 3. No man-made fibers, long trousers and solid (fully enclosed) shoes. Here’s why:
1) No man-made fibers. Yes, cotton also burns, but it doesn’t melt and cling to your skin. Also doesn’t produce static electricity.
2) Long trousers: I sometimes fly in shorts, but the long trousers are more to protect myself from scraping my skin during walkaround. I’m unfortunately pretty good at blundering into sharp edges so that’s really self-protection.
3) Solid shoes: I can’t drive in flip-flops and I don’t really see how I could fly in them, let alone get up on the wing to check the fuel. Equally important is egress and getting away from the airplane in case of an emergency. Ever tried to run in flip flops?

Personally I would prefer to approach it this way That’s why I would never get into a lot of planes. Some ULs have clear plastic tubing carrying avgas and it is installed inside the cockpit! On one plane I saw it had cables wrapped around it.

Previous in-flight fire thread.

On the OP, I fly with 4). I think any in-flight fire is going to be too serious for clothing to make any difference – especially as I often fly high up.

Lithium batteries are a specific challenge, which can be addressed if you are careful e.g. always make sure any appliance is within reach of somebody during flight.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

In day job I have to fly in nomex flying suit with cotton long sleeve t shirt and long johns, boots, leather gloves and helmet. That’s rather right of arc protection and heat stress can be a real issue to manage.

For my other GA flying I just focus on cotton stuff, long trousers and decent footwear. For Aeros or older types it’s flying suit as well.

It is not just fire either, I have good friends who have spent time getting soaked and windswept in wreckage / had to trek across fields after forced landing.

Like most things I think a sensible balance is the way ahead. I do the same on commercial flights as well.

Posts are personal views only.
Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

If you’re worried about clothing flammability, the fire probably isn’t survivable. That said, avoiding synthetic fibres sounds sensible, although as Graham says this is more of a wardrobe choice. You can’t cover all eventualities (e.g. wearing wool and ditching) and it’s more important to be comfortable.

The time to be thinking about it is now, and not when it’s too late. I keep a blanket and lightweight coat in the boot of the car in the very unlikely event of a breakdown. The blanket is handy for picnics

I once got told off for landing a tailwheel in a gusting crosswind in flip flops. At the time I was very current so it didn’t matter, but now I wouldn’t be so confident.

EGHO-LFQF-KCLW, United Kingdom

@Ibra why 10%? I have heard that figure before somewhere. I think on some laptops it is recommended not to keep the laptop plugged into the mains but run it on the battery and recharge when it gets to 10% otherwise the battery gets to a state when it will no longer hold charge.
The problem is that (and I think it is a regulation) tablets like ipads must have more than 90% charge before you begin an IFR flight if you are going to use it as your only electronic flight bag. So it is not always possible to let the charge descend to 10% and then recharge ready for the next flight.

France
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