Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Aircraft; Company Policy
Captain approached me in the terminal to express his concerns for passenger safety due to excessive heat building up in the aircraft while the planes sat parked on the ground for extended periods of time without any air cart to cool them.  He mentioned that a heat advisory was out today and was concerned about the heat advisory. The First Officer I was flying with called to confirm that [ramp crew] would not be hooking up air carts to our planes because they did not have any available for our use.  I am writing this because I believe I may have found a SOLUTION to this problem of cooling the aircraft.  One of the ramp supervisors had us start an engine BEFORE passenger boarding began.  I believe making this a REQUIREMENT would greatly help in cutting the risk of heat stroke and other heat related problems for our passengers and crew.  This will be important in IAD AND outstations alike and may require ADDITIONAL RAMP PERSONNEL to accomplish this task. We are supposed to be ready to board 30 minutes prior to departure in IAD.  Thirty minutes in 100+ degree cabin is a long time for our passengers (a great majority of which are elderly).  The other problem is sometimes we can sit in an outstation for 30+ minutes with passengers on board because of our intermediate stops.  Making engine start prior to boarding a REQUIREMENT would greatly reduce risk when an air cart is not available because we are then able to cool the cabin to a reasonable temperature.  This will be difficult due to staffing issues with our contractors but I believe it is the best option to get through the summer safely.
A regional airline Captain writes to suggest that Company policy be changed to require that one engine be started thirty minutes prior to aircraft boarding at stations which do not provide air carts for aircraft cooling during the hot summer months.