activate your intelligent A/C. This is quite straightforward and logical, but only if you are at home. If you’re aboard something a bit more complex, like a military fighter jet, you may find yourself operating the A/C at full capacity, even while soaring at extreme altitudes during the coldest, harshest Alaskan winters. This phenomenon is not mainly related to the aircraft itself, but rather to the pounds of sweaty equipment a pilot usually dons.
Regardless of how frigid it is outside the aircraft, the interior of a jet’s cockpit can become incredibly hot due to a mix of the sun blazing down overhead and the bulky, heavy gear and clothing the pilot is equipped with. Although a jet’s Environmental Control System (ECS) could offer warmth if the pilot wishes, it is technically more prudent for the pilot to be bundled up just in case they need to exit the vehicle swiftly.
