Flatulence at 20,000 ft

[Scott Rose]

I'm currently reading the biography of an 8th Air Force pilot and something that was described in the book caught the attention of my 12 year old inner self. It was mentioned that the pre-mission meal was comprised of non-gassy foods.

I am speculating as to why but what would be the "Official" reason?

[Richard W.]

Gassy foods cause uncomfortable bloating in unpressurized aircraft.

I remember the MREs (in the 80s) that included a bean component had a warning label on them "not for preflight use".

[Airlift48]

Somewhere we have a government publication called "Your Body In Flight" and it mentions this as a problem.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0089 ... =erislo-20

[JohnB]

I remember during a VIP tour at Beale, a Life Support specialist said SR-71/U-2 crews would get a special preflight breakfast. Not only was it bean and gas free, it was "high protein, low residue". I recall Astronauts getting steak and eggs for them same reason. Today before a long flight, or a flight in a GA aircraft, I remember that.


As a kid, my dad would bring me box lunches for school field trips from them base flight kitchen. They're were in a colorful specially marked box ("Have a nice flight" emblazoned with them unit emblem) a bit shorter than a shoebox. Then menu choices, dad explained, were chosen for that reason.

[menards]

since cabin altitude of a commercial airliner can be 8,000ft....if you eat a gassy meal @ sea level before you leave you'll experience a similar effect.

[Scott Rose]

I figured it was something along those lines but had never seen it referenced before!

[bdk]

Just think pressure differential!

[b29driver]

Carte Blanca beer and nachos with jalapenos and frijoles the night before the altitude chamber ride to 45,000' will make a skinny 155# 2lt's flight suit fit really tight in the belly until the butt trumpet sounds like a freight train's horn.

[JohnB]

Sort of like taking a sealed bag of potato chips on an aircraft...even a pressurized airliner.I
At some point of you go high enough, it will burst.

I've read of a pilot in a King Air having that happen, alerting him to a pressurization issue.