Prior RAS Discussion RE post high-altitude flight medical issues:

"Harris seriously challenged the limits of the A14-A oxygen system
during his flight, which he terminated after the first of two parallel
A14-A installations failed. He alluded to some memory loss after the
flight during an interview with a television news crew. Harris was
subsequently disinclined to talk much about the flight in
consideration of an FAA certificate action and the threat of civil
penalties.

Sabrina Jackintell (the feminine single-place absolute altitude
holder)experienced failure of her A14-A oxygen system at altitude,
lost consciousness and many thousands of feet before recovering at a
lower altitude. She told me that she'd "lost a lot of brain cells"
during the record flight, had experienced memory loss and periods of
disorientation, and that she was never "quite as sharp" as before the
flight.

James Munn (now deceased, but still the holder of the Colorado State
absolute altitude record) and Hod Taylor, contemporaries of Syb at
Black Forest Gliderport, agreed with her assessment. Jim and Hod both
exceeded 40,000 feet on A14-A oxygen systems that worked perfectly,
and both were of the opinion, too, that their health and mental
function had been diminished by the experience.

None of this is meant to condemn the A14-A system. It was the best
thing available at the time, but it just wasn't meant for those
altitudes. I've been to 36,000 feet on an A14-A system myself. I'm
not as sharp as I used to be, either, but I expect that has more to do
with age and Stolichnaya vodka than any amount of high altitude
flying."

"Sabrina's case is a powerful argument for a Pulse Oximeter. All of these
people had endured pressure chamber rides in the hope that this would
provide a means of recognizing their hypoxia symptoms. I presume that they
did not continue their flights despite recognized hypoxia symptoms. This
calls into question the presumption that hypoxia symptoms can be recognized
in time to avoid trouble.

The A-14's were designed in the piston fighter era when sustained,
unpressurized flights above 35,000 feet were rare. Modern pressure demand
regulators such as the MD-2 are simpler, lighter, more reliable and easier
to install. Some are for 50 - 2000 PSI and others for LOX 50 - 500 PSI
oxygen supplies. They are available on the surplus market and would be a
far more suitable regulator than the A-14 for wave flights."

"I have had both Bob and Sabrina visit us
within the past year. I knew both of them prior to
their respective record flights.
Bob was blessed to have no debilitating long term
effects. Sabrina had much more difficulty following
her flights, but now enjoys normal daily life.

Travels above FL 350 should never been taken lightly.
They should never be taken without chamber training.
They should never be taken without dual systems, and
backup emergency options.
They would be the first to say the same things.... Given that we train in wave checkouts to
include emergency descents (full spoilers and just under
maneuvering speeds) and benign spirals.... such an
expedited descent from FL 250 in the AS-K puts you
below 13,000 msl in about 3 minutes."

RE Bickle: "But because [Paul Bikle] loosened the oxygen mask earlier in anticipation of landing while descending to 2,500 feet altitude, Bikle soon found during the sudden and non-stop ascent that he had to hold the oxygen mask to his face with his left hand while steering the sailplane with his right. Before long, the moisture produced by his body and exhaled air caused the inside of the aircraft's canopy to ice over completely, and Bikle had absolutely no outside vision. He could fly only on his instruments and rely on his extraordinary fount of experience to keep him in the ascending wave of air."