Relieving in flight

On Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 11:34:57 AM UTC-8, John Cochrane wrote:
Problems with pee tubes include freezing up, and pee causing tail components to rust. I've had both happen. A catheter and bladder both exploding at 17,500 over the whites is not that fun! That's what led me to an onboard system.

All this joking aside, having some pee system and the ability to use it in the cockpit should be mandatory before going off cross country. If you can't pee, you won't drink, and if you don't drink, you can't think.

John Cochrane

I use these:

https://www.athomemedical.com/Hollis...d-p/ho975-.htm
https://www.allegromedical.com/cathe...z-p192445.html

Get as long a catheter as you can make use of and get the ones with a long glue line. I'd much rather carefully peel the thing off at the end of the day than have one come off in flight.

On days when you get to high altitudes and colder OAT your extremities may get cold, leading to hypothermic diuresis. On those sorts of days I have filled two (32 oz) bags, so I always carry two. Cold also leads to "shrinkage" and potential loss of adequate surface for a good glue seal. If a catheter comes off it's just a mess and can be challenging to fix. Trying to don a new catheter (I carry three on every flight) with urine on everything while sitting strapped into a glider with a chute on - all while trying to fly is an exercise to be avoided at any reasonable cost. Oftentimes the replacement catheter won't stick properly because of the wet (plus it's cold, so, well, you know). Put the catheter on carefully on the ground before you get in the cockpit is my primary advice.

I also have an overboard tube that is attached to the inside of the main gear door so I have to put the gear down to dump. I only use this to dump a filled bag as I don't really want the gear down for the time it would take to pee directly overboard. With the bag always attached, you just pee at your leisure without a big production. I generally agree, dumping overboard is to be avoided. If you do, make sure to rinse off all the fittings in the tail/rudder upon landing.