Airlines and tyre pressures.

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skinnydog

New Member
I’ve travelled extensively on airlines and always deflated my tyres completely. Any ideas as to what would be the lowest pressure Incan get away with?
 

DaveReading

Don't suffer fools gladly (must try harder!)
Location
Reading, obvs
I’ve travelled extensively on airlines and always deflated my tyres completely. Any ideas as to what would be the lowest pressure Incan get away with?

It will vary from airline to airline, from day to day, from check-in agent to check-in agent ...

You may even be lucky enough to encounter one who understands that it makes little difference. If you play safe and take 10 psi or so out, then the chances of them exploding in the air are zero.
 

figbat

Slippery scientist
Atmospheric pressure is around 14.7 psi. Therefore this is the very most that the tyre pressure could increase by, if they were subjected to a vacuum. Obviously the cargo hold is not a vacuum, so the advice above seems perfectly sensible.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Atmospheric pressure is around 14.7 psi. Therefore this is the very most that the tyre pressure could increase by, if they were subjected to a vacuum. Obviously the cargo hold is not a vacuum, so the advice above seems perfectly sensible.
Unless the cargo hold happened to be very much warmer than where you had pumped the tyres up!

(That is unlikely to be the case unless you inflated your tyres in very cold conditions. A quick search suggests that holds are typically kept at 5-25 degrees C.)
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Atmospheric pressure at the max height airliners are likely to be found is around 4PSI.

So unless your tyres are inflated so hard theyre quivering in place on the rim you have no problems. Let a dribble out and you're golden.
 

DaveReading

Don't suffer fools gladly (must try harder!)
Location
Reading, obvs
Atmospheric pressure at the max height airliners are likely to be found is around 4PSI.

So unless your tyres are inflated so hard theyre quivering in place on the rim you have no problems. Let a dribble out and you're golden.

And if the pressure in the cabin/hold stayed at 4 psi, you would no longer care about the condition of your tyres.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
What pressure do the plane tyres run at?

According to Wikipedia it's 200psi. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_tire

Aim for that. If it's good enough for aeroplane wheels, then it should be fine for bikes.
 

dicko

Guru
Location
Derbyshire
You should be ok just leaving them as they are, Have worked for BAC, BAe and Boeing on aircraft structures seen many in the fuselage assembly jigs this explains it nicely.
Aircraft cabin pressure bulkheads are structural components that divide the pressurized cabin from the unpressurized areas of the aircraft, primarily the tail section. They play a vital role in maintaining a comfortable and safe cabin pressure for passengers and crew during flight. These bulkheads are designed to withstand the pressure differential between the inside and outside of the aircraft, preventing the fuselage from bursting due to high internal pressure.

IMG_3296.jpeg
 
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