To reduce aircraft weight and reduce fuel consumption, a major Japanese airline has stationed staff at airplane boarding areas. The staff members ask passengers to “relieve” themselves prior to their flight.
They are hoping for a 5 ton per month reduction in CO2 emmissions.
A Canadian airline has ordered all life jackets removed from all their airplanes to increase MPG, also.
Think about it. There are millions more cars than there are airplanes. Think of the fuel and CO2 savings that are possible.
Question:
Would this work for cars in the U.S.? Should the president “urge” (no pun intended) people to “relieve” themselves prior to driving, the way he urged folks to inflate their tires?
Should people be asked to leave spare tires at home, too, just as life jackets were removed from planes?
What do you think?
I think the Canadians should be worried about all the lawsuits they will face if any of their planes crash in any bodies of water.
Kinda spltting hairs here, but I’ve neve seen a turbofan or turboject aircraft that could achieve 1 MPG. I’m pretty sure it’s closer to 3 gallons per mile for something like a 737.
the weight savings would be too minimal. do you propose putting weigh stations beside every road with police monitoring?
if you want weight savings, dont complain about anything. less weight means no AC, radio, GPS, both side view mirrors, a nice interior, DVD players, sound systems, voice activated phone thingys, all things i can live without. how about you? (“you” meaning general populace)
Let say an average person looses 16 oz of fluid in the commode, and that’s a lot. And you have 136 people doing that before leaving in a Boeing 737. That 136 lbs is 0.1% of the plane’s gross weight.
I refuse to give up my AC, leather seats, passenger side mirror and audio system. I’ve never had a car with navigation or voice activated phone. I suspect that between Map Quest and the fact that I never used the phone whilst driving I can manage without those. Then again my idea of good fuel mileage is anything in excess of 15 MPG.
I bet my car would get an extra 5 mpg if I leave my future ex-girlfriend at home…
:o)
FoDaddy, You Are Right. I Know Large Planes Don’t Achieve MPG, But Rather Figure In Pounds Of Fuel Consumed, But However You “Split” It, It’s Still Fuel Economy Or Lack Of It.
CSA
Road Runner, I’m Not Proposing Anything, Here. I Haven’t Offered An Opinion.
I’m not willing to give up the things you list.
CSA
Why, Did She Retain Water?
CSA
Next they’ll tell me to leave this belt buckle at home and the nice work boots too. eeeya ! or make me take them off right at the airport along with these heavy duck jeans !
Nope. She retained junk food.
Let’s say that there are 250 people on the plane, and each drops a pint off before boarding. That’s about 250#. I question whether 250# makes any measurable difference in fuel used. I also doubt that if I lose a pound before I drive off that it will make any difference in my gas mileage. My spare tire is firmly attached to my midsection so I think I’m stuck.
Airplanes are way more weight sensitive than cars. Ask any pilot what a rocketship the plane they learned to fly suddenly became the first time they soloed without the instructor weighing the plane down.
A car carrying extra weight mostly takes longer to accelerate to cruising speed but once cruising speed is achieved, the weight makes nearly no difference. An airplane has to accelerate extra weight to cruising speed, lift the extra weight to cruising altitude, and once cruising speed and altitude is reached, the extra weight continues to be a drag on the plane because the wing has to support that extra weight with a higher angle of attack with a resulting higher induced drag.
I’m kind of curious about the environmental impact of the extra sewage, hot water (to wash hands) paper towels, etc.
Re cars, I’m sure we could save a lot of gas if we built all cars around the specs of say an old Volkswagen–top speed 45, no safety equipment whatsoever, no AC, etc. Apparently people aren’t willing these days to make that choice.
Re spares, you don’t need them 99.9 percent of the time. Then they become really nice things to have. But then, the same thing could be said about life jackets on planes. And my impression was, Canada had quite a few bodies of water.
I have already done something similar with my Civic.
I was driving around with a full sized spare and a doughnut spare, a small floor jack, and some tools. I took the doughnut spare, floor jack, and tools out for local driving. I load them all up for long trips.
I also removed my back seat. It doesn’t weigh much, but I never use it. Whenever I change the fuel filter, I have to remove the bottom of the back seat to disconnect the fuel pump. Now the job is much easier.
I removed a bunch of junk I was carrying around, like books and maps.
I know these items don’t save me that much fuel, but every little bit helps.
Oh, I See!
Then she was a “light eater”? As soon as it got light out, she started eating?
CSA
“Airplanes are way more weight sensitive than cars.”
I have a hard time believing that if everyone went to the bathroom it would make a difference. I do not believe that a weight savings of less than 0.1% produces measurable fuel savings. I’m sure that far fewer than 100% would need to go. It saves money on toilet cleaning, but not on fuel. Maybe it’s just a little white lie.
Lifesaving floatation devices are required in all passenger airlines flying in and into all major countries. Well, out of actually. A plane could in trouble could land in a major country without the devices, but they wouldn’t let it take off again.
Well I suppose it’s possible a Japanese airline has done this. Stranger things have happened.
It also would not surprise me personally if Obama read this and created a Czar and a federal agency to be sure everyone emptied their bladders before driving, to save gas. Perhaps he could get Al Gore to drive around in his armored Escallade cavalcade and fly around in his private jet using incalculable energy reosurces to promote the idea. Perhaps Gore could do a movie on the subject and get another Oscar and Nobel Prize. Stranger things have happened…
Sorry. The devil made me do it.
While we’re at it, why don’t we take the steering wheel off cars too? It’s too big! I’m sure we could have some kind of touch-screen sensor instead.