I use a pulse oximeter and try to keep saturation up in the 90s. That normally means using about .3 l/min up to 13-14,000’.
Your general fitness will make a difference, and for heavy smokers you ought to knock off 5-6,000’ from your O2 altitudes.
Practising pressure breathing and belly breathing can also raise your saturation several points. There’s plenty of advice on that in the mountaineering world.
I’m off over the Rockies this weekend and taking my 9 CuFt bottle and cannula. It may need a re-fill for the return trip.
I will use O2 at FL080 and above, though FL080 (or anywhere near that) typically occurs on longer flights anyway and on those one gets increasingly tired if pushing the legal boundaries – not sure what the European ones are currently but I do know the US ones.
Sure one can boost the O2 level by breathing “harder” but one can easily forget to do it when distracted.
The MH O2D2 system works well to the highest I have been which is FL210. A mask is easier though at those levels because you don’t need to breathe deliberately.
Practically what is the lowest typical FL for IFR in Europe for areas which which are not over high terrain?
My impression is that you can expect to have to be at FL110 or above for sectors which are longer than a couple of 100nm? or get a lot of Radar Headings and clearances which add considerable distance. The old airway from Zurich to Milan they typically want you at FL160, although the MEA is a bit lower.
In effect O2 is a requirement for nearly all IFR except for the usual training sectors.
FL240 and above, ATC appear not to mess with you too much.
I would use O2 above FL100 for short sectors, and above FL80 on longer sectors or at night. (Am a fair weather commuting cyclist averaging 3000 miles pa, but hypoxia is highly insidious – why test the theory?)
Aviathor wrote:
I fly to FL120 but no higher w/o oxygen for 2-3 hrs flights.
…. and if you are flying a European aircraft you are breaking the law.
Practically what is the lowest typical FL for IFR in Europe for areas which which are not over high terrain?
FL090, with some exceptions e.g.
In effect O2 is a requirement for nearly all IFR except for the usual training sectors.
Exactly! Or for messing about IFR in UK Class G. It is also a requirement for crossing the Alps in most places.
if you are flying a European aircraft you are breaking the law.
I thought the O2 regs are according to airspace, not the aircraft reg?
Dave_Phillips wrote:
…. and if you are flying a European aircraft you are breaking the law.
No, he’s not… At least not necessarily, see (a) below.
NCO.OP.190 Use of supplemental oxygen
(a) The pilot-in-command shall ensure that all flight crew members engaged in performing duties essential to the safe operation of an aircraft in flight use supplemental oxygen continuously whenever he/she determines that at the altitude of the intended flight the lack of oxygen might result in impairment of the faculties of crew members, and shall ensure that supplemental oxygen is available to passengers when lack of oxygen might harmfully affect passengers.
(b) In any other case when the pilot-in-command cannot determine how the lack of oxygen might
affect all occupants on board, he/she shall ensure that:
(1) all crew members engaged in performing duties essential to the safe operation of an aircraft in flight use supplemental oxygen for any period in excess of 30 minutes when the pressure altitude in the the passenger compartment will be between 10 000 ft and 13 000 ft; and
(2) all occupants use supplemental oxygen for any period that the pressure altitude in the the passenger compartment will be above 13 000 ft
Peter wrote:
I thought the O2 regs are according to airspace, not the aircraft reg?
They’re ops requirements so not airspace.
Peter wrote:
Sweden and nearby have often been reported here as having seamless Eurocontrol IFR capability down to some very low level
Yes, indeed. My “record” was a three hour flight in a mixture of class C and G airspace flown entirely at the MSA of 2500 or 3500 ft, due to very strong headwinds above. I got a single route clearance before departure, was talking to ATC the whole way, with handovers etc.
Airborne_Again wrote:
No, he’s not… At least not necessarily, see (a) below.NCO.OP.190 Use of supplemental oxygen
(a) The pilot-in-command shall ensure that all flight crew members engaged in performing duties essential to the safe operation of an aircraft in flight use supplemental oxygen continuously whenever he/she determines that at the altitude of the intended flight the lack of oxygen might result in impairment of the faculties of crew members, and shall ensure that supplemental oxygen is available to passengers when lack of oxygen might harmfully affect passengers.
Yeah, alright. How is the pilot going to determine that?
Indeed; but on a casual read this seems like a regulation that does exactly nothing. Whether ones likes this or not, the point of a regulation is to create a criminal offence if not complied with, and this one can never achieve that. But then I am not a lawyer
The FAA oxygen rule (details here) is however too lax for some people. As I have written before, I have flown with one instructor who didn’t want o2 and at FL120 could not read the altimeter. I have been to about FL130 on a 2005 group flight test organised by an AME and did well (best of the group actually; HR was about 90 when the others were mostly 110-120) but still I would be shagged if flying at FL100 for a couple of hours.
I think most people who fly without o2 at/above FL100 are deluding themselves as to their mental capacity, plus they pay a price after landing.
