"George Shirley" wrote in message
.. .
wrote:

George Shirley wrote:

--cut--

My god, that was hot work, trying to get some rest/sleep while
lying back in the midrest seats alongside the open overwing
hatches listening to the hellish pounding of the slipstream
there. The bunks were unuseable due to the heat. You guys now
have it easy in airconditioned comfort!...
--

-Gord.

Nomex is well known in the oil refining industry as being hot in the
summer and cold in the winter. It only protects against flash fires up
to about 900F AFAIK and you ain't gonna make it if the fire is really
bad. Personally I always preferred cotton clothing when I was a plant
operator and still wear cotton and wool by preference. Hopefully my
Nomex coveralls are hanging in the closet forever. VBG

George, wearing his safety consultant hat again


Y'know, this is a favourite subject of mine. We wear Nomex for
years and years with all the attendant discomfort that it gives
us just to protect 'someone' for a few seconds of 'flash fire'
maybe. Seems like a silly thing to do, it's like we provide a
'fireguard' for every a/c engine start when it'll maybe do some
good on some start ten years in the future. I've likely started
thousands of aircraft engines and NEVER had an engine fire on
start, moreover, I've never even seen one. That spread out over
26 years of service. Never even SEEN one, let alone HAD one
myself, let alone had one myself which was put out by the fire
guard!!.


I know of a crew who escaped with burns on back of head and ears only when
the aircraft exploded. They made it out and the nomex did save their back
sides. I never had a fire during start in over 4000 individual engine
starts. I don't count a few torches with J57s that were blown out
immediately. I guess the real question would be, could you give a good
answer to your commander if you did lose the jet because of a fire and you
didn't have a fire guard. But usually it is a waste of time.

MG