Hi all..how is the waistwater dumped form aircraft? either heavy or light aircraft ( exectutive transports with restrooms onboard).Is it done mid air? or are there "honey wagons" at the airports? something ive allways wondered about....maybe gross but the thought of it being dumped mid air is worse to me......... dave

Above the waist or below the waist?Well, there really isn't "dumping" as such of the blue chem waste type.In commercial air carrier aircraft the "blue" water is held in containment tanks and the tanks emptied, flushed then refilled on the ground.Potable(drinking) water may be vented over the side depending on the aircraft. A lot of corporate a/c such as the King Air have a relief tube that resembles a small fire extingusher nozzle and a valve at the base heading into the hose. One is located under the pilot's seat and the other is located in the aft "biffy". These are ported over the side to a drain-mast when the valve is cracked. (Remember these are pressurized). This is for LIQUID waste only. Solid waste on a corp a/c is either handled in a chemical flush type or the cheaper "port-a-john" methodology....(don't ask, don't volunteer). "Blue Ice" generally comes from a faulty seal that allows the contents to acrete on the side of the a/c to form an ice ball on the side of the plane. As funny as it sounds these puppys are dangerous if they break-off.A NW 727 flying over Florida was thought to have lost an engine due to a blue ice vs turbine encounter.So much for eating lunch now...Tim__757

And from one who has been there, done that, the piece of ground equipment is called a "xxxxx Hearse"Memories......

About 15 years ago a roofer in Germany was killed when a plane approaching landing warmed up enough that a lump of blue ice broke free from a leaky vent and hit him. Richard