Jet Engines

On a recent flight I was seated immediately adjacent to a rear mounted jet engine. My shoulder (with pacemaker) was about 2 feet from the engine cowling. Could the EMF at this distance over several hours pose a risk? My internet reasearch has not yielded any information on point. Thanks for your help.

8 Comments

no

by Tracey_E - 2011-06-12 05:06:48

The risk isn't damage, the risk is if the EMF is strong enough to put the pm into the mode they use when they test it. It's harmless, it just feels bad because the pm has limited function. There's a switch in there, a magnet pulls it closed and switches the mode. As soon as you get away from the source of the EMF, the switch opens and it's back to full function with no harm done.

No Problem Frm Jet Engines

by SMITTY - 2011-06-12 06:06:24

Hi Stillgoing,

That jet engine produces nothing that will affect your pacemaker. All it does is heat air which is exhausted out the rear of the engine to provide forward motion of the airplane. Sure there are some moving parts in that engine like turbine blades that are spinning at about 30K rpm, but all they do is compress the air that will be heated.

Smitty

Smitty

Jet Engines

by stillgoing - 2011-06-12 09:06:11

Smitty and TraceyE, thank you for your replies. Do either of you see an issue in regard to the electrical generation function of jet engines?

Jet Engine & Generators

by SMITTY - 2011-06-12 11:06:00

Hi Stillgoing,

If you are talking about generators being mounted in the engine pod, there are none there. Or at least all the commercial jets I have been one had the generators powered by an auxiliary jet mounted in the tail section of the plane. Regardless, unless you were sitting on the generator it is not likely to upset your PM. The generators are in a metal encasement and EMF does not travel far from the generator. Not to many months ago I was in an electric utility power plant and on the generator floor about 25 to 30 ft from a running 750 MW generator and my PM did not even notice.

While it is true an electric generator can interfere with the operation of a PM, so long as we keep it about 6" to 12" away, unless it is an extremely lager generator, it will not interfere with the PM.

Smitty

Smitty

by ElectricFrank - 2011-06-14 02:06:02

Maybe that 750MW generator recharged you pacer batteries! LOL

Years ago before I had my pacer I took s tour of a facility where there were large arc furnaces in operation. The metal rails on the cat walk were vibrating from the magnetic field in the area. Even the keys in my pocket buzzed. I wonder how my pacer would like that.

frank

Frank

by SMITTY - 2011-06-14 04:06:01

I'll bet your poor PM wouldn't know whether it was coming or going so it would just quit, if you were lucky. It is my understanding if we get into a strong enough EMF (like the one you were in) the PM may decide to do things it is not supposed to do. According to the article I read it is entirely possible for one to become a real hazard. It would be like the hard drive on a computer being wiped clean and then being reprogrammed by an alien. Really strange stuff may take place.

Smitty

Poor pacer

by ElectricFrank - 2011-06-15 02:06:57

Being subjected to a very strong 60Hz magnetic field could cause it to go in and out of magnet mode 60 times a second causing a condition call PFib (Pace Fibrillation).

LOL

frank

What is with the ads???

by kathykat11 - 2011-12-08 03:12:30

I look forward to a site where i can choose to look at products through the banners posted... this looks to be a business of some sort.

You know you're wired when...

Your favorite poem is “Ode to a Cardiac Node”.

Member Quotes

Since I got my pacemaker, I don't pass out anymore! That's a blessing in itself.