EFFECT OF WEATHER FACTORS ON AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE CREWS IN ARCTIC AREAS

摘要

Under conditions of dry cold with no wind, loss of aircraft maintenance crew effectiveness at temperatures down to 0° F is small; below 0° F, outdoor maintenance performance falls off until it may reach zero for poorly motivated crews at -30° F; better motivated crews will attain some degree of effectiveness at the lowest temperatures encountered without wind. Under conditions of dry cold with wind, outdoor main¬tenance usually becomes essentially ineffective when the wind Chill factor is comparable to or greater than that produced by a 10 mph wind and -15° F temperature, although some crews will perform some maintenance under these conditions. Winds in excess of 30 mph interfere with visibility due to blowing snow. It is concluded that performance could be markedly improved with adequate motivation and experience; that development of adequate face protection and of clothing less pervious to wind is feasible; and that better solutions to the problem of hand protection and dexterity under high wind chill conditions should be sought.