Dry chemical fire extinguishers are NOT suitable for aviation. They cause corrosion, damage avionics, impair eyesight, and cleanup can be costly. It isn’t surprising that the FAA recommends against their use. Choose a “clean agent” fire extinguisher, which is a gas that dissipates. Halon is great for small aircraft. H3R Aviation also offers the Halon alternatives, Halotron 1 and Halotron BrX.

Halons are low-toxicity, chemically stable compounds that have been used for fire and explosion protection from early in the last century. Halon has proven to be an extremely effective fire suppressant. Halon is clean (i.e., leaves no residue) and is remarkably safe for human exposure. Halon is a highly effective agent for firefighting in closed passenger carrying areas. Due to its effectiveness and relatively low toxicity, the FAA continues to recommend or require Halon extinguishers for use on commercial aircraft.

It is a common misconception that Halon "removes oxygen from the air." According to the Halon Alternative Research Corporation (www.harc.org): "Three things must come together at the same time to start a fire. The first ingredient is fuel (anything that can burn), the second is oxygen and the last is an ignition source. Traditionally, to stop a fire you need to remove one side of the triangle-the ignition, the fuel or the oxygen. Halon adds a fourth dimension to fire fighting-breaking the chain reaction. It stops the fuel, the ignition and the oxygen from working together by chemically reacting with them.

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