Summer is the hottest season of the year, with temperatures reaching 32°C–38°C (90°F–100°F), depending on the location. Despite the hotness of the season, it is most people’s preferred season of the year.
It is a season that many eagerly anticipate every year. A lot of people come out to have fun outdoors in large numbers. Different kinds of fun activities and events are held during the season. What makes it even more fun is that a huge number of people go on trips and vacations in the summer, more than any other time of the year.
Due to the increase in the number of people traveling during the summer, airlines see a rise in the number of passengers. Airplane temperature is often one of the critical concerns of air travelers. Is it cold on airplanes in the summer? This is one of the few questions most travelers ask before their first experience traveling by air during the summer.
Airplane Temperature in Air
An average airplane’s temperature in the air is between 68°F and 75°F (20°C and 24°C). Airplane temperatures are kept at such a high level by the cockpit crew to ensure the welfare of passengers and cabin crew.
Most passengers become airsick at higher temperatures. Nevertheless, different factors may cause fluctuations in airplanes’ cabin temperatures sometimes. Planes temperatures are always kept in check from time to time because of the effect temperature has on their overall performance.
Is It Cold On An Aeroplane During Summer? Factors That Determine Air Temperature in an Aeroplane
1. Outside Air Temperature
This is a huge determiner of the temperature inside the airplane cabin. The airplane cooling system uses the air outside the airplane to cool the plane. When the temperature outside the airplane is low, the plane cooling system cools the cabin with minimal effort but when there is a high temperature outside the plane, the plane cooling system uses a lot of effort to regulate the temperature in the airplane.
2. Airplane Altitude
when the plane flies at high altitude, the ability of the airplane cooling system to regulate the temperature of the airplane becomes difficult. At high altitudes, the outside air becomes less dense. Less dense air means that the volume of oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the air becomes low. This happens because there is a decrease in air pressure, which makes the air molecules spread out.
Therefore, the airplane temperature becomes low and the inside of the airplane becomes cold, which makes the cooling system work harder to maintain the plane temperature.
3. Faulty Airplane Cooling System
The primary function of the cooling system is to regulate the plane’s temperature; when it is faulty, it becomes less efficient in carrying out its function. However, the plane experiences high temperatures because of the low efficiency of the airplane cooling system.
Moreover, the airplane engine also becomes heated due to the circulation of cool air through the cooling system, which becomes minimal. This also affects the overall performance of the airplane.
4. Number of Airplane Passengers
The number of passengers on a flight also affects the airplane temperature. The higher the number of passengers on an airplane, the more the plane cooling system works to maintain the air circulation. Sometimes, the plane may fail to meet up with the average air there should be in an airplane; this causes fluctuations in the airplane temperature, which makes most passengers feel comfortable.
How Airplane Temperature is Regulated
To regulate the temperature of an airplane, it mixes cold air and hot air to maintain the desired air temperature. The environmental control system is used to control the air temperature of an on-flight airplane.
The environmental control system is responsible for the air circulation, air pressure, and air temperature management of the plane. Air conditioning packs are components of the environmental control system; they are located in the left and right wings near the main landing gear of an airplane.
Air is processed in the two air conditioning packs, which supply air to the airplane conditioning system. The air conditioning packs or air cycle systems have refrigerant filled in their coils. The refrigerant is a chemical compound that absorbs heat from the outside air at low temperatures and transfers it at high temperatures into the condenser of the airplane.
The condenser is a component of the air conditioning system. After it receives the heat transfer from the air conditioning packs, it removes heat from the refrigerant gas. The condenser also helps to prevent the buildup of excess heat in the engine compartment of an airplane.
When the heat is removed from the refrigerant gas, it then turns to liquid. This liquid is moved to the air conditioning system evaporator. The evaporator helps evaporate the liquid into gas. The gas is compressed by the compressor.
The evaporator, which is located in the airplane cabin, is also responsible for absorbing heat in the cabin air. The compressor compressed the gas by increasing the gas pressure, then sent it to the expansion valves, which then removed the pressure from it. The expansion valves enable the evaporator to expand and absorb heat from the cabin.
In addition, the condenser, evaporator, compressor, and expansion valves are part of the loop system that works together to regulate the air temperature until it reaches the desired degree and is maintained in the cabin.
Is it Cold on Airplanes In the Summer?
Yes, it is possible for an airplane to be cold during the summer because the air conditioning system of an airplane is designed to make sure that the temperature of the airplane is at the desired temperature, regardless of the outside temperature. It is important to know that the temperature of an airplane during the summer depends on whether the cabin wants to keep it at a low temperature.
Is it Cold On Airplanes In The Summer?: Why Flight Crew Likes It Cold On An Aeroplane
When airplanes become cold during the summer months, it does not mean they are cold because of the summer. Even though the outside air is used to regulate the temperature of an airplane, there are other reasons it might be cold; one of them is the crew’s preferred air temperature of the airplane.
Sometimes, even when on-flight passengers cover themselves with blankets because of the cold, the flight crew might still prefer it. Here are some reasons why flight crews may like it cold on airplanes.
- Many of the flight crew members were trained in cold weather, so their bodies are very adaptive to cold air temperatures.
- Cooler temperatures help prevent overheating of the plane engine. To avoid overheating the engine, which may cause a mechanical fault, the flight may make the air temperature cooler.
- To control a strong odor. One of the most effective ways of controlling strong odors is to lower the plane’s temperature. Cooler temperatures tend to reduce strong odors and create a more fresh atmosphere.
Conclusion
To regulate the air temperature of an airplane, it goes through different processes. This process gives a good answer to the question, “Is it cold on airplanes in the summer? Though outside air is used in regulating the internal air temperature of an aircraft, the season of the year, such as summer, has little to no effect on the air temperature of the plane’s cabin. This is made possible through the sophisticated processes the outside air goes through in the environmental control system and air conditioning packs of an airplane.
