Smoke Hoods Views
This a pilot's worst nightmare... dense smoke obscuring both outside and instrument panel visibility. Even without the smoke, flying with O2 masks and smoke goggles in the simulator is difficult. For those of us who wear bifocals even worse. Time to mandate smoke hoods that seal to the forward windshield and panel and make the task possible no matter how dense the smoke.
SMOKE HOODS: aka PBE (protective breathing equipment) are of two types, active and passive carbon dioxide absorbers. The active ones last about 12 minutes regardless of activity. The passive ones can last up to an hour when sedentary and 12-15 minutes under heavy work load. - Sold by Essex PB&R, located in St.Louis
A smoke hood is a protective device similar in concept to a gas mask. A translucent airtight bag seals around the head of the wearer while an air filter held in the mouth connects to the outside atmosphere and is used to breathe. Smoke hoods are intended to protect victims of fire from the effects of smoke inhalation.
High quality smoke hoods are generally constructed of heat resistant material like Kapton, and can withstand relatively high temperatures. The most important part of a smoke hood is the filter that provides protection from the toxic byproducts of combustion. Virtually all smoke hood designs utilize some form of activated charcoal filter and particulate filter to screen out corrosive fumes like ammonia and chlorine, as well as acid gases like hydrogen chloride and hydrogen sulfide. The defining characteristic of an effective smoke hood is the ability to convert deadly carbon monoxide to relatively harmless carbon dioxide through a catalytic process.
Smoke Hoods Images
