Money in the Flight Levels?

[RobertGary1]

Summer over the Sierras I'm often around 16,000 in my F. No problem.

-Robert

[Coty Smith]

How was your O2 level at altitude?

Best regards,

-a-

 

I didn't have any O2 issues.  Of course no cannula at that altitude, I used the mask.  I checked my logbook, surprisingly I documented very little.  It was in '03.  I have an Aerox M cylinder and remember I had to keep dialing up the flow as altitude increased.  

[Houman]

I use the cannulas without the "reservoir" as those just irritate me. I keep a pulse oximeter on board and check that, and adjust the rate of flow accordingly. I find the O2 lasts quite a bit longer than I expected. I last had it filled in June and have had several trips to Naples and back, and other flights where I'll use a bit here and there. It's still above 1400psi (or somewhere close to that). Even with a passenger in the airplane, the O2 usage is not bad at all. I'd rather pay for O2 and be able to fly high than use less of it and fly low. Options are everything when flying, and having the ability to go up high is a huge benefit I have with this airplane.

 

That is so true, I was coming back from Hershey PA couple of weeks ago and weather was not so great, I could hear on the radio everyone deviating left or right, I decided to just climb, you could hear other small planes at or below 12000 having to deviate more and more to get out of weather, but with my Rocket at 17500 feet, I had no difficulty staying there in perfect weather VFR ott. I used cannulas for me and mask for my son at that altitude and crank the O2 to FL210 level even if we were close to FL180. We had both our pulse oximeters on all the time and looked at it every 30 seconds to minutes, it helps when you are properly equipped. Spend a bit more money and get oximeters with alarms on it, so that it rings pretty loud when you are under 90% on O2....

 

Also use O2 as much as you want, it costs me under 30$ to get my E bottle filled, and when I use O2 on a flight, I feel so much less tired and more in shape when it comes to landing, instead of fly at 10000 or 12000 and not using O2 at all…

[peevee]

 

 

Also use O2 as much as you want, it costs me under 30$ to get my E bottle filled, and when I use O2 on a flight, I feel so much less tired and more in shape when it comes to landing, instead of fly at 10000 or 12000 and not using O2 at all…

it costs $80 to get our built in filled and they usually only get it to about 80%

[RobertGary1]

Im paying about $100 a fill here in NorCal.

[peevee]

Im paying about $100 a fill here in NorCal.

have you considered putting together your own fill rig? I have thought about it, for the cost and convenience of not having to hassle finding a place to fill me up.

A full tank will last longer than the multi day trips I take so I don't usually fill on the road unless it's really cheap or something. (cal-ore in KCEC was $25 when I was there)

[Robert C.]

$50 for a 77CuFt tank at my FBO at KDXR

[chrisk]

have you considered putting together your own fill rig? I have thought about it, for the cost and convenience of not having to hassle finding a place to fill me up.

A full tank will last longer than the multi day trips I take so I don't usually fill on the road unless it's really cheap or something. (cal-ore in KCEC was $25 when I was there)

I put my own filling rig together.  It was well worth the effort for the reduced hassle.   Locally it was costing me $60 to get an O2 fill, and it had to be scheduled just like any other maintenance on the plane. The problem I have found is getting O2 on long trips, even at high altitude airports in places like Colorado.   Which means I generally want to start with a full tank.  --No problem with my own fill station.

[peevee]

I put my own filling rig together.  It was well worth the effort for the reduced hassle.   Locally it was costing me $60 to get an O2 fill, and it had to be scheduled just like any other maintenance on the plane. The problem I have found is getting O2 on long trips, even at high altitude airports in places like Colorado.   Which means I generally want to start with a full tank.  --No problem with my own fill station.

I might have to hassle you later forfor details on your setup.

[Shadrach]

 

Is it me, or is your Ram Air control missing?

[chrisk]

I might have to hassle you later forfor details on your setup.

I got the FBO-1 from To save some cash, I only got the Scott adapter, which is what my plane takes for a fill.  My tanks come from the local welding supplier.  Some use welding O2.  I spring for the real stuff, as it doesn't make a substantial difference in cost

 

http://www.aviationoxygen.com/aerox-aviation-oxygen/oxygen-refill-station-equipment.html

[RobertGary1]

Chris, do you have two tanks to cascade? Or do you not worry about that? I assume the biggest cost is the tank itself.

-Robert

[Houman]

On my side I found a business that fills O2 for clinics and other medical related establishments, they charge me 27 can$ to fill my E size tank, takes about 10 min and it's on my way home from work. Very very convenient and its medical grade O2... I know it doesn’t make any difference for me, but still I heard it is less dry than the welders O2.

 

 

I looked and added up the costs of having my own refilling station and it would all cost me a bit shy of 1 AMU because of Canadian laws, at that price I can fill my E tank more than 35 times at the Medical O2 place just to break even with the installation and that is not counting the O2 itself in the refill station that needs to be filled again...

 

Not really worth it when you can get it that cheap and easy, but I have paid 60 or even 70$ at other airports, but still worth it if you need to climb to get on top of weather !!!

[DonMuncy]

The tank(s) is/are the biggest expense. If I didn't have two of them, I would probably shop Craig's List. Renting tanks will eventually cost more than buying your own.

I have found the fittings/connectors are the only items you ought to pay top dollar for. The rest of the set-up can be done with cheap gauges, copper tubing and standard hardware.

[chrisk]

Chris, do you have two tanks to cascade? Or do you not worry about that? I assume the biggest cost is the tank itself.

-Robert

 

I have 2 tanks.  I leased them from the gas company.  I just exchange them when needed, which is not that often.  I'd have to go back and double check the lease, but a year lease on both tanks is in the $80 range.   The tanks are very heavy, about 140 lbs each, so a second set of hands is useful when loading them into the car.  It's also a good reason to put them on a welding cart.  ($50 from Harbor Freight)  I think they are the 330 CF tanks (Size T maybe).

[DonMuncy]

Since all the oxygen comes from the same source, I would buy welding oxygen. I am extremely skeptical of anyone saying their O2 has undergone any special testing.

[peevee]

I have 2 tanks.  I leased them from the gas company.  I just exchange them when needed, which is not that often.  I'd have to go back and double check the lease, but a year lease on both tanks is in the $80 range.   The tanks are very heavy, about 140 lbs each, so a second set of hands is useful when loading them into the car.  It's also a good reason to put them on a welding cart.  ($50 from Harbor Freight)  I think they are the 330 CF tanks (Size T maybe).

thanks! very helpful

[peevee]

 

but still worth it if you need to climb to get on top of weather !!!

the other day I didn't have to be to work until after noon so I hopped across the rocks before work, only 80nm each way. On the way there I went around some weather, on the way back I had to go to 15,5 to top it, I was really happy to have o2 on board.

[N201MKTurbo]

I have talked to the supervisor at the local gas plant. There are extra checks on ABO. I asked him if he ever had a cylinder fail he said "Not in the 35 years I've worked here"

 

All the oxygen goes from the liquid oxygen tank to a compressor and then to the pipes at the fill stations. All the fill stations, for welding, medical and ABO. No additional filtering or processing what so ever.  

 

This gas plant fills a lot of ABO for the airlines and the Air Force Base.

[RobertGary1]

Since all the oxygen comes from the same source, I would buy welding oxygen. I am extremely skeptical of anyone saying their O2 has undergone any special testing.

 

I have traditionally agreed with you but when I approached our local welding shop they claimed otherwise. They said they exchange tanks with industrial welders and say they do find odd things in the tanks. I'm not sure why/how strange stuff could get in the tanks but they were confident it happens. I agree with the idea that welders hate impure oxygen almost as much as pilots since it causes poor heat. But the guy basically made me promise not to use any O2 he sold for breathing.

I found the medical O2 path a dead end. I could find no one who fills medical O2. They exchange small, heavy steel bottles that have very odd fittings. Most home O2 users are moving to home charging systems. 

 I did ask about purchasing a medical O2 charging system but at the time they were very expensive.

 

-Robert

[RobertGary1]

Something like this may eventually replace bottles...

http://oxygentogo.com/pocs

 

-Robert

[peevee]

I got the FBO-1 from To save some cash, I only got the Scott adapter, which is what my plane takes for a fill.  My tanks come from the local welding supplier.  Some use welding O2.  I spring for the real stuff, as it doesn't make a substantial difference in cost

 

http://www.aviationoxygen.com/aerox-aviation-oxygen/oxygen-refill-station-equipment.html

said they won't sell it with just the scott adapter, since the adapters are like $100 each I can probably get a setup elsewhere for a little less.

Tanks in my area are $8.50/mo per cylinder, $16 delivery.

 

$200 a year is a lot for the tanks. Maybe I can find them cheaper.

[DonMuncy]

The oxygen concentrators seem like a good deal, but I presume they are working with the ambient air. So if you are at 16,000 ft, there is a lot less O2 for them to "concentrate". I have not seen any numbers about how much O2 they kick out at altitude.

[RobertGary1]

At his point. But seems like evolving technology. It wasn't long ago that oxygen services visited people's homes and swapped out their bottles. Maybe 10 years ago. Now those people have concentrators at home and fill their own travel bottles. Emphysema is a huge issue and lots of people are on oxygen.

[peevee]

I think the market for those concentrators will be in compressing o2 to fill tanks. I know they already sell something g like that but they're like 6k