Do you always have oxygen?

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.

A decent portable system runs $500+. I have one but carry it only when
I expect to use altitudes above 10K, as with a recent trip to Denver.

I'm 69 yrs old and have the Nonin testing unit. I've had the Arrow up
to 13,000 and find that I can maintain O2 at 90+ with regular slow,
deep breathing.

I'm 69 yrs old and have the Nonin testing unit. I've had the Arrow up
to 13,000 and find that I can maintain O2 at 90+ with regular slow,
deep breathing.

That's without supplemental O2?

Jose
--
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Jose wrote:
I'm 69 yrs old and have the Nonin testing unit. I've had the Arrow up
to 13,000 and find that I can maintain O2 at 90+ with regular slow,
deep breathing.

That's without supplemental O2?


Yes, without supplemental. I know that 90% isn't great, but this was a
test case on a beautiful clear day to check out both myself and the
Nonin. Normally, over 10K I use the tank for at least part of the
flight.

Paul kgyy writes:

I'm 69 yrs old and have the Nonin testing unit. I've had the Arrow up
to 13,000 and find that I can maintain O2 at 90+ with regular slow,
deep breathing.

Slow, deep breathing will not provide you with any additional oxygen.
Seems like quite a risk to take. And 90 isn't that high.

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If you don't have oxygen, you die. Doesn't matter if its with a bottle
or just plain from breathing.
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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Ol Shy & Bashful writes:

If you don't have oxygen, you die. Doesn't matter if its with a bottle
or just plain from breathing.

It's not a binary situation. If you don't have enough oxygen, you
die, but you can have enough to survive but not enough to escape
permanent or temporary negative effects of hypoxia.

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