Any pilots out there?

[PavlovsCat]

I am a pilot and have a small plane, usually flying at 8-10 thousand feet. Would there be any problem with transporting my home brew? Is the capping technique secure enough so that I won't get any bottle bomb surprises in the cockpit? Usually the airliners are pressurized to 8 thousand feet so that if someone has transported it this way, this would be equivalent to my unpressurized plane flying at 8 thousand.

Thirsty

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Beer is routinely ground shipped to and from high altitude locations (at or above 8,000'). It doesn't seem to suffer any ill effects from the trip.

 

[GloHoppa]

i have a lot of pilots that come into work that cant get our beer wherever they live (alaska, california, etc) so they typically buy some 4-packs and bottles of our latest 100 barrel and leviathan series and take it back with them. they tell me that they just keep it in their carry on back in the cockpit.

i have other folks who come in to do work on our pipes or glycol system or whatever and since their work revolves around commercial breweries they travel extensively. they get beer and wine from places they work and bring it home by simply checking it in their baggage. since that part of the plane is unpressurized and the beer is always fine, i would say that you would be fine too

i honestly thought you were going to ask about brewing while in the air when i first saw this thread

 

[snipper_cr]

I thought the same thing. First thing I was going to say was "Don't forget, 8 hours bottle to throttle!"

You are right about your thinking with commercial airliners flying at pressurized cabin of 8,000 feet. I believe that the pressure inside the bottle is far more significant than the pressure change you would experience in a GA aircraft (or pressurized one). Now if you take your brew, have exploside depress at cruise altitude in a commercial airliner, you make have something to explain to the FAA, but even then, the bottles are crazy strong. If they were cans you might get some bulging.

What type of flying do you do? I've been a pilot for 2 years now and love it (Currently a CFI, working on CFII/MEI)

 

[The Pol]

BREWSKI, your inbox is full!!

Hey, nice to hear from a fellow pilot. I am actually an airline captain... no military or law enforcement here. As for transporting your brew in an unpressurized environment, here is what I do know.

When we are cruising at 41,000 feet, our cabin pressure is actually 8,000 feet. When doing so, our Sam Adams in the liquor cabinets does not explode... so I think homebrew if properly carbed will be fine.

I have time in a myriad of aircraft, I stopped counting my flight time, but it must be about 7,000 hours now with 5,000 of that in turbine powered aircraft, 3,000 of that in jets.

I say take the homebrew along!

 

[Displaced MassHole]

I just transported 50lbs of homebrew in bottles from san diego to massachusetts in my luggage. Everything made it just fine......go for it!

A little OT, but is their an aircraft version of DUI? I mean a field sobriety test at 41,000 feet would really suck.

 

[The Pol]

You can be a little intoxicated, as long as you dont hassle us, or other passengers, we wont care.

 

[Parker36]

Hard to stay "a little intoxicated" when they have unlimited free booze on Lufthansa flights.

 

[Displaced MassHole]

I meant the pilots......especially when transporting homebrew.

 

[The Pol]

Our limit is .02... BUT our rule is also 12 hours bottle to DUTY time, which in essence means 13 hours bottle to throttle (or thrust lever). Sad, some nights you cannot even get a drink.

 

[snipper_cr]

Our limit is .02... BUT our rule is also 12 hours bottle to DUTY time, which in essence means 13 hours bottle to throttle (or thrust lever). Sad, some nights you cannot even get a drink.

Are those 121 limits or just company SOPs?

 

[The Pol]

From our own GOM.

 

[hopdog]

I started flying lessons this spring but then I got busy building my house so things are on hold until I can free up some time... priorities. I really can't wait to continue, I love it.

 

[Flyin' Lion]

You could always fly at a lower altitude.

Is there any particular reason that requires you to fly at 8,000 feet.

Being an ex-banner tower, I prefer the lower altitudes anyway.

 

[The Pol]

Flying is another addiction, isnt it? It gets in your blood and it is hard to remove it. I am currently working on a compilation of pics and videos that are taken on my trips to show a "day in the life" of an airline pilot. It certainly isnt glamorous, but we have a heck of a good time!

 

[The Pol]

You could always fly at a lower altitude.

Is there any particular reason that requires you to fly at 8,000 feet.

Being an ex-banner tower, I prefer the lower altitudes anyway.

Perhaps fuel economy, or winds... but 8,000 should be fine.

 

[hopdog]

Flying is another addiction, isnt it? It gets in your blood and it is hard to remove it. I am currently working on a compilation of pics and videos that are taken on my trips to show a "day in the life" of an airline pilot. It certainly isnt glamorous, but we have a heck of a good time!

It is. I have a lot of friends who fly. I would love to have a float plane someday... that probably won't happen though.

 

[The Pol]

When I retire Id love to have a float plane... hop around to different lakes and fish off the pontoons....

 

[Flyin' Lion]

I too would like to fly a float plane...someday. I think there's a seaplane base near Philly. I'd like to check that out if/when we move to Delaware.

 

[Rounder999]

I have my PPL ASEL and this is a good question. Keep it in a sturdy cooler sans ice for less weight and you will be fine. Unless you want to fly with a little less gas, it depends on your priorities.

 

[The Pol]

What model Mooney are you pimpin? I LOVE the Rocket and Missile conversions! But, I have to admit, I am a Beechcraft guy... the 35 model all the way, thanks to gramps.

 

[benko]

I've flown back cases of Fat Tire from the west coast at 13000 feet unpressurized, and had no issues with bottles breaking (I did have a bag of chips blow up on me once, though). You'll be fine.

Also, airliner baggage compartments are heated and pressurized. The aircraft's hull is the pressure vessel, as it is much stronger than the floor of the passenger compartment. If it weren't, all your baggage would be frozen (temperatures above 36000 feet, known as the tropopause, remain at a constant -56.6 degrees celsius) and any containers (toiletries, etc.) would have exploded.

 

[The Pol]

I've flown back cases of Fat Tire from the west coast at 13000 feet unpressurized, and had no issues with bottles breaking (I did have a bag of chips blow up on me once, though). You'll be fine.

Also, airliner baggage compartments are heated and pressurized. The aircraft's hull is the pressure vessel, as it is much stronger than the floor of the passenger compartment. If it weren't, all your baggage would be frozen (temperatures above 36000 feet, known as the tropopause, remain at a constant -56.6 degrees celsius) and any containers (toiletries, etc.) would have exploded.

Generally not all of the baggage compartments are heated... usually ONE is for carriage of animals. If we place animals in the rear cargo, they will die as it is not ventilated or heated properly.

 

[planenut]

I've brought back a case of fat tire (A long time ago) in the unpressurized area of a citation. I think we were cruising around 35,000 feet for 2 hours.

Also in several pressurized compartments that were not heated. I'd venture a 5000 to 6000 ft cabin pressure.

No problems.

 

[The Pol]

We used to have charts in the Saab for altitude, time and OAT that would show the temp of the cargo compartment over time at a certatin altitude and temp... as it was not heated.

We can only carry animals in the forward cargo of the EMB170/175 as the rear is not heated and ventilated.

 

[planenut]

The falcon is supposed to be heated but what it really has is a system where air from the cabin feeds the baggage. The baggage seal is so good that there is not really any flow so it gets cold over time.

The citation III had electric heat but we normally would not run it to avoid any risk of electrical fire...

The Citation II. doesn't have pressure or heat.

The Citation XL doesn't have pressure or heat.

 

[PavlovsCat]

I have my PPL ASEL and this is a good question. Keep it in a sturdy cooler sans ice for less weight and you will be fine. Unless you want to fly with a little less gas, it depends on your priorities.

I always fly with gas, or did you mean fuel? Thanks for your post.

 

[PavlovsCat]

What model Mooney are you pimpin? I LOVE the Rocket and Missile conversions! But, I have to admit, I am a Beechcraft guy... the 35 model all the way, thanks to gramps.

Flying a 201 J model MSE. Flew the new Mooney twin turbo at Sun-N-Fun 247 kts. May step up if I win the Lotto. If I win the Powerball, going for the CJ or something equivalent, or maybe just the PC-12 for a shorter upgrade on my ticket. Could put my Harley in it for some mobile transportation.

I almost bought a honey of a B A36 when I was married, but then the divorce snatched my down payment. One item on my Bucket List, is to own something that burns Jet-A.

 

[The Pol]

Some of those new turbo-prop singles are hot machines. You really cannot dupicate the utility of a turboprop... and the CJ's are notoriously slow unless you are getting a Bravo or "V"... if you are going to go that slow, might as well get a more fuel efficient PC-12 that has good short field capability as well.

Thanks for sharing