O2 filling

On Nov 17, 6:10 pm, Dan wrote:
On Nov 17, 2:16 pm, "Matt W. Barrow"
wrote:





"Dan" wrote in message

...

On Nov 15, 10:39 pm, "Matt W. Barrow"
wrote:
"Dan" wrote in message

...

So short of doing your own transfilling, where does everyone get cheap
O2? Or are you paying big bucks at the FBOs? For an occasional user,
the transfilling equipment does not make sense.

An Oxygen optimizer (i.e., Mountain High or Aerox) makes your tank full
of
O2 last about six to ten times longer than a normal system. Filling your
own
and an Optimizer brings the cost of O2 down to near zero. Further, it
makes
it worthwhile to use higher altitudes that an expensive system make
prohibitive.

Would it be worth it in a non-turbo aircraft? (ie. 182, Comanche?) I
live out west and have been debating for a while.

As with so many other points, it depends. First, I find it rather odd that
someone would have built in O tanks in a non-turbo aircraft. Also, much
depends on WHY you want to go high: terrain, distance, favorable winds...

When I lived in Montrose, CO, every flight pretty muh dictated going high,
often 15K or 16K feet to get over the mountains and over to the front range.
Added to this was most flights were 350 or more miles.

If you do use oxygen fairly often, check the prices on the O conservers and
do the math to see if it's worthwhile. Also, add in your fuel saving in
going higher.

Anyone know of a good place that fills tanks in the Phoenix area?

Call around to some welding supply stores, but don't tell them it's for an
aircraft, just tell them you're doing to fancy artwork welding. :~)

--
Matt Barrow
Performance Homes, LLC.
Cheyenne, WY- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Matt,

It would be a portable system. I am in a club with a 182 and a
Comanche 260. The main purpose of the O2 would be to get to MEAs over
high terrain enabling me to go IFR on those flights. Of course, the
manual says the ceiling on the Comanche is FL210, and the 182 is 18k,
however not having Oxygen, I am not sure how practical it is to go
much above 12.5k in those aircraft...

I find that in my plane it is rare that I can fly IFR (at least IMC)
at those altitudes because of ice.

-Robert