Do you always have oxygen?

Oddly enough, I am unable to have the tank refilled at a medical
supply shop because I don't have a prescription for O2.

One can't even get a regular pulse oxymeter without a prescription.
They make special ones for pilot that don't require a prescription.
They are identical.

Jose
--
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Mxsmanic wrote:
I am curious to know how many GA pilots always have oxygen on board,
even if they don't normally fly at high altitudes. It seems like it
would be good to have around, but I don't know how much it costs. Do
oxygen systems have to be frequently topped off or inspected or
measured? Do they just consist of masks for passengers and pilots to
wear?

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"Jose" wrote in message
et...
I am curious to know how many GA pilots always have oxygen on board,

....

It's been reported that for some, especially at night, altitudes above
5000 feet cause noticable impairment. Nonin makes a fingertip device
(pulse oxymeter) to measure blood oxygen saturation. I'm curious myself
as to what my readings would be. However, it's a $300 device, and I don't
often fly that high anyway.


http://wingsandwheels.com/page35.htm down towards the bottom of the page -
$199


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Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
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Always have an O2 tank on board- never know when we might need to go higher
during a long cross country. Although not required by reg, for prolonged
flight at around 10k or higher I always use it to keep my O2 sat at or
greater than 92%. I find that flights become a lot less tiring and I feel a
lot better. Flying at night it definitely helps the color discrimination and
night vision.

Agree with the recommendation about doing a chamber ride- it is a great
experience and worth the time and trouble of arranging. (of course, being in
the Air Force I don't have an option)

Mxsmanic wrote:
I am curious to know how many GA pilots always have oxygen on board,
even if they don't normally fly at high altitudes.

I carry it and will tend to use it if I know I'll spend time above
10K.


It seems like it
would be good to have around, but I don't know how much it costs.

The initial cost is the biggest impediment. Topping off the bottle
isn't that abd.

Do
oxygen systems have to be frequently topped off or inspected or
measured?

You refill them as they get used. They need inspection every
5 or 10 years depending on construction or the fillers won't
refill them.

Do they just consist of masks for passengers and pilots to
wear?

Masks or nasal canuals and then some kind of flow regulator.
In the simplest form these are just needle valves with either
some sort of flow guage or just preset (by altitude) flow.
The fancier ones that use less O2 for a given effect, work
like scuba regulators in that they flow more while you are
inhaling and throttle back when you are not.

Robert M. Gary writes:

I usually do. Many of the rental planes keep a bottle in the back too.
I have a large bottle I bring for the family 4 place, but also a
smaller, more manageble bottle with just one port for myself in the
Mooney.

Is this just a device you set down on the seat beside you, or what?
How long does one bottle last? I presume it's automatically regulated
so that you use only as much oxygen as you need for the altitude?

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Viperdoc writes:

Always have an O2 tank on board- never know when we might need to go higher
during a long cross country. Although not required by reg, for prolonged
flight at around 10k or higher I always use it to keep my O2 sat at or
greater than 92%. I find that flights become a lot less tiring and I feel a
lot better. Flying at night it definitely helps the color discrimination and
night vision.

Is there a picture of the device somewhere on the Web? How do you
talk on the radio if you are wearing an oxygen mask, or is it just one
of those things that covers the nose?

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Steve Foley wrote
It would be pretty hard to breathe if there was no oxygen on board.

I used to think that too, but when I tried breathing without a mask at about
30,000 feet in an altitude chamber I was amazed at how I felt no difficulty
inhaling or shortness of breath -- at least for the few seconds before I
passed out.

Mxsmanic wrote:
Robert M. Gary writes:

I usually do. Many of the rental planes keep a bottle in the back too.
I have a large bottle I bring for the family 4 place, but also a
smaller, more manageble bottle with just one port for myself in the
Mooney.

Is this just a device you set down on the seat beside you, or what?
How long does one bottle last? I presume it's automatically regulated
so that you use only as much oxygen as you need for the altitude?

My personal one sits on the seat next to me. If I"m flying with the
family the big one sits on the back of my seat (it comes with a special
strap). There are 4 twist adjustors and each line has a gauge on it
that is measured in altitude. So you turn up the adjustor until the
ball bounces up to the altitude you are flying at. From there you go by
personal preference. My wife likes a bit more O2 so I set her higher.
If the boys are starting to fight with each other I'll turn theirs down
a bit. My youngest likes a bit less anyway. At night I turn mine up a
bit more for better night vision.
Its important to remember to turn them off as you start down for
landing or you'll waste your O2. Amount of O2 used goes up quickly with
altitude. At 13,000 feet with all 4 of us using O2 my bigger bottle
lasts about 10-12 hours down at 10,000 its probably good for 20 hours
with 4 people. The difficult thing is that if you are planning a long
trip do you fill now or later? Remember you don't pay for the O2, just
the labor to fill it, which is the same for a top off vs a full tank.
So you want to run it down a bit before filling.
Also, if you want to **** someone off **really quick* turn their O2 way
up. It burns the inside of your nose pretty good. I also carry an
emergency O2 mask in case I have a bad cold but have yet to ever use
it.
-Robert

Mxsmanic wrote:

Is there a picture of the device somewhere on the Web? How do you
talk on the radio if you are wearing an oxygen mask, or is it just one
of those things that covers the nose?

it's a commercial site, the place where I bought my system, but it
should give you an idea: http://aviationoxygen.com/

there are different options depending on altitude: I use the cannula
which works well for as high as any aircraft I fly can go anyway :-)
(might be a limiting factor if I get back to flying gliders though);

you have masks with built in microphone too,

--Sylvain