What can you tell me about Halon fire extinguishers? Are they illegal now? Have they always been illegal?
Al Todd:
Hi all, I owned a fire equipment company for 20 years, through the ups and downs of the agent known as “Halon”. During most of that time I also developed my obsession with flying. I still carry a 2.5 lb Halon. The biggest drawback to Halon is its best trait. It leaves no residue, it is blown away quickly, sometimes before it can extinguish the fire, with strong ventilation in a drafty cockpit.
If you opt for a dry chemical, which is better than burning, go for a “B C” as it is for fuel and electrical and is not corrosive. The Monomonium Phosphate A B C extinguishers are terribly corrosive to aluminum and all those electronics. They are illegal on a ramp. Next time you are getting fuel, take note of the label on the nearest extinguisher at the pump or truck. It should be a “B C”. If it is an “A B C”, inform the FBO that he might as well let your plane become a puddle, because the half burnt corroded hulk they put out with the A B C will just be tougher to move.
The link Mike gave (below) is an excellent article on the Halon story.
Technical Editor:
Here is a link to a good aviation article on the subject (permanently available on BAC). The time will come when traditional Halon units are no longer available. If that has recently happened, I haven’t seen that on AvWeb, etc. yet. When Halon was outlawed for general sale in fire extinguishers, Aviation fire extinguishers were excluded from the ban. My understanding is that most (maybe all) extinguishers are filled with recycled product now, and newer extinguishing agents have recently been developed. The newer types don’t seem as effective as Halon, though, pound-for-pound.
https://www.beechaeroclub.org/modules/UpDownload/store_folder/Maintenance_Manuals/Halon_Cockpit_Extinguishers.doc