Vaping and flying, pilots do it (in China)

[UP4014]

Vaping pilot linked to Air China plane's sudden plunge

 

[yohy?!]

Im not sure why they bothered to try stop the air circulating into the cabin - the smell from vaping i would have thought doesn't carry anything like a tobacco cigarette.

 

[Quickstatus]

I think it was the smoke they wanted to conceal

 

[jb747]

I think it was the smoke they wanted to conceal

Depressurisation would do it!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I think it was the smoke they wanted to conceal

That’s the bit i didn’t get... there’s no ‘smoke’ with vaping... just a bit of steam which disappears in a second or so (doesn’t hang around like smoke does, or smell the same). Given that vaping is legal indoors in public places in the UK, and there don’t appear to be dangers from second hand vaping, it seems like an odd thing for the pilot to try and disable the air circulation.... unless... the pilot was actually trying to smoke a real cigarette... but has blamed it on a vape??

 

[Quickstatus]

Yes, other sources suggest it was cigarettes the flight crew were smoking and that e-cigs were put up as an excuse.

Apparently the flight path of another aircraft was affected and that aircraft had to take evasive action

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes, other sources suggest it was cigarettes the flight crew were smoking and that e-cigs were put up as an excuse.

I didn’t read those, but it seems to make sense. I would also think that a filled e-cigarette would be a hassle to travel with... liquids at altitude can easily leak and the substance is a bit sticky.

 

[Quickstatus]

AVHerald has an entry

Interestingly e-cigs are big in China (so is tobacco smoking) - it’s a Chinese invention.

 

[Hvr]

just a bit of steam which disappears in a second or so (doesn’t hang around like smoke does, or smell the same).

The vaping I've seen and had to walk through has huge clouds of noxious effluent that stinks and hangs around forever.

Frankly I am surprised that any country would legalise its use inside. Just shows how much influence big tobacco has in pushing their drugs.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The vaping I've seen and had to walk through has huge clouds of noxious effluent that stinks and hangs around forever.

Frankly I am surprised that any country would legalise its use inside. Just shows how much influence big tobacco has in pushing their drugs.

There are different delivery systems... some no bigger than an actual cigarette, with relatively little output. Others have large respirators and huge batteries, those do have a significant output. I wouldn’t think the larger ones would be the preferred ones for ‘discrete’ use (for example on board a plane).

I guess it’s all relative. Supposedly harmless steam vs the real toxic cigarette smoke (and not to mention all the other pollutants we have to put up with from transport and factories and the like).

I’m not sure the tobacco companies were pushing these initially. They may have jumped on the bandwagon, but that might be a good thing. Just because Australia doesn’t support them doesn’t mean that is the right course of action.