Oxygen - equipment, getting refills, refill hoses, safety, etc

I know quite a few of you use oxygen in the FL200+ and use the mountain high O2 system.
Do any of you switch to the mask as recommended over 18000ft, of if you do keep with the cannula and what setting do you have the 02S2 set on.

I stay with the cannula beyond FL180.

Yesterday I was at FL210 and was getting 97% blood O2 with a heart rate of 85. That’s using the MH O2D2 regulator, on the standard cannula setting (the first click away from OFF).

But you have to breathe very evenly and deliberately, and have the cannula squarely up your nose, so you get all the gas that’s made available.

On a previous FL210 flight I used the $400 MH mask with the built-in microphone, which enables easy breathing and works even if you are lazy, but … it’s a mask so not as comfortable. One has to carry a mask anyway, in case someone has a blocked nose. I had such a passenger on two occassions that I recall.

Here is an article confirming the euphoria.

Oxygen cylinders with DIN valves, and scuba shops

I have just got this photo from Mountain High which shows the two cylinder threads in common use.

My gear is the 540 thread which is what almost everybody in the USA uses, but the word is that scuba shops (the ones that carry oxygen for trimix diving) can directly fill the DIN valve cylinders. It would be nice to find out of this is true, without any adaptor.

Refilling oxygen cylinders in the Paris area

I am curious about where people refill portable oxygen cylinders in the Paris area, and the ballpark price. It would be for a 48 cu in cylinder.

• Do you happen to know about facilities at the LFPT Pontoise and LFPN Toussus-le-Noble airfields?
• Are there diving shops (or chains like Decathlon) that accept refilling cylinders obviously not used for diving?
• What kind of fittings/adapters would you need?

Thanks

@Michael might be able to help you, he is working in general aviation in Paris area.

Indeed. I was also thinking about @Romain and @Guillaume who may occasionally be using oxygen and being in need of refilling.

I know of two companies which are able to provide oxygen near Paris.
Aéro-entreprise : http://www.aeroentreprise.net/aero_entreprise.ws
EMS : http://www.ems-fr.com/

Aéro-entreprise filled my 48 cu.ft bottle (with CGA540 valve) last year but it was rather expensive (arround 80 €). EMS was about the same price.

Last year, I made a phone call to a diving shop in Paris (I don’t remember which one), they told me that no diving shop provides oxygen near Paris.

If someone knows a place which sells cheap oxygen, I would gladly accept the adress.

Send me a PM with contact, i can help you…

Romain

There are certain to be bizjet service companies at the three sizeable Paris airports (CDG, Orly and LB) and these can do it.

You would drive there so the lack of GA access is irrelevant.

This might be needed

They won’t be cheap. About 13 years ago a similar facility at “London” Biggin Hill was charging GBP 150 for filling up a very small Aerox cylinder I used to fly with. This is OK for an emergency but you don’t want to be doing it all the time.