O2 usage

[NewMoon]

So my girl and I just took ownership of an Acclaim. Coming out of a pressurized turbine so we are new to the O2 routine.  

I expect 14000 will be about as high as we will fly it, unless some weather situation that forces us higher. 

We have the factory O2 set up with a new bottle and new PF A5 oxymizer cannula units.  So...

Does this system really work at keeping your O2 levels up? Not just so you don't lawn dart but do you land feeling refreshed? We are both late 50's healthy and fit. What tips does the group have for maximizing the effectiveness of this system? We have a nice pulse OX device to keep track.

Any experiences/lessons would be much appreciated. Thx Scott

 

 

[Ragsf15e]

52 minutes ago, NewMoon said:

So my girl and I just took ownership of an Acclaim. Coming out of a pressurized turbine so we are new to the O2 routine.  

I expect 14000 will be about as high as we will fly it, unless some weather situation that forces us higher. 

We have the factory O2 set up with a new bottle and new PF A5 oxymizer cannula units.  So...

Does this system really work at keeping your O2 levels up? Not just so you don't lawn dart but do you land feeling refreshed? We are both late 50's healthy and fit. What tips does the group have for maximizing the effectiveness of this system? We have a nice pulse OX device to keep track.

Any experiences/lessons would be much appreciated. Thx Scott

 

 

Yes it works well. The pulse ox is key.  I can definitely notice a difference when I keep my pulse ox 93-97 on a flight vs 85-93.  People are all different, but I found that I needed oxygen around 8k and up to keep my o2 at those levels… Im 50 and reasonably fit too… so I just use it whenever we’re cruising at 8k+ and I feel so much better, nevermind making better aviation decisions.  I fly a Meridian at work and pressurization is awesome, but just use the o2 often and track the pulse ox.  You’ll be fine and feel good.

[NewMoon]

5 hours ago, Ragsf15e said:

Yes it works well. The pulse ox is key.  I can definitely notice a difference when I keep my pulse ox 93-97 on a flight vs 85-93.  People are all different, but I found that I needed oxygen around 8k and up to keep my o2 at those levels… Im 50 and reasonably fit too… so I just use it whenever we’re cruising at 8k+ and I feel so much better, nevermind making better aviation decisions.  I fly a Meridian at work and pressurization is awesome, but just use the o2 often and track the pulse ox.  You’ll be fine and feel good.

Great, thx for the input and an O2 range to watch for. We are taking a flight Monday and will be giving it a try. 

[Z W]

It works great.  I land feeling more refreshed after a flight on oxygen than after a flight in a pressurized cabin, where the cabin altitude might be 8k or more.

Hardest part is keeping the O2 tank full - it empties out faster than you'd like, and not all shops can service your O2.  Some have setups to refill in their own hangar, and adding an O2D2 oxygen delivery system is another popular option.

You may look into some boom-style headset-mounted cannulas.  There are different varieties out there, such as from Mountain High.  They make using the O2 much more comfortable compared to having to run the tubes under your headset and across your face.

I don't know why you'd stop at 14k after you've climbed that high, but staying under 18k keeps you in a space where your time of useful consciousness is reasonable if you have an O2 delivery problem, so that's what I do.  The only real difference between 14k and 17k is the amount of head or tail wind, and your true airspeed, which improves as you go up.

I'm usually either at 7-10k fighting a headwind, or 16-17k riding a tailwind, both to maximize the benefits of a turbocharged plane.  Unless clouds, terrain, or icing / freeze levels force me higher or lower.

With your Acclaim horsepower you'll climb up a lot faster than I can, so getting up there is easy.

Happy flying.

[Pinecone]

I HIGHLY recommend getting a Mountain High O2D2.  

It greatly reduces your O2 consumption, but keeps your sats up.  It works be sensing when you inhale and it then delivers a short pulse of O2.  The pulse size/duration is based on the setting and your altitude.  You still want to monitor your sats with a pulse ox device.

It reduces O2 usage by a factor of 3 - 4 fold.  I picked up my plane in August 2022, and it had about 1600 pst in the tank (115 cf built in).  It was topped off at the annual in December.  And I am still at over 1100 psi.   And I have flown it about 120 hours, mostly at O2 altitudes.  Mainly myself, but several trips on O2 with a second person.

I agree that the boom cannula is more comfotable, but I have no trouble with a basic cannula.  FYI you do NOT use a oxygensaving cannula with the O2D2.

 

[NewMoon]

4 hours ago, Z W said:

It works great.  I land feeling more refreshed after a flight on oxygen than after a flight in a pressurized cabin, where the cabin altitude might be 8k or more.

Hardest part is keeping the O2 tank full - it empties out faster than you'd like, and not all shops can service your O2.  Some have setups to refill in their own hangar, and adding an O2D2 oxygen delivery system is another popular option.

You may look into some boom-style headset-mounted cannulas.  There are different varieties out there, such as from Mountain High.  They make using the O2 much more comfortable compared to having to run the tubes under your headset and across your face.

I don't know why you'd stop at 14k after you've climbed that high, but staying under 18k keeps you in a space where your time of useful consciousness is reasonable if you have an O2 delivery problem, so that's what I do.  The only real difference between 14k and 17k is the amount of head or tail wind, and your true airspeed, which improves as you go up.

I'm usually either at 7-10k fighting a headwind, or 16-17k riding a tailwind, both to maximize the benefits of a turbocharged plane.  Unless clouds, terrain, or icing / freeze levels force me higher or lower.

With your Acclaim horsepower you'll climb up a lot faster than I can, so getting up there is easy.

Happy flying.

Good thoughts on ALT to fly. Winds look light at 14k so maybe go on up to 16k. Just wanted to be mindful of the thinner air.  

 

And yes cabin in our turbine at FL280 was ~8500'

[NewMoon]

3 hours ago, Pinecone said:

I HIGHLY recommend getting a Mountain High O2D2.  

It greatly reduces your O2 consumption, but keeps your sats up.  It works be sensing when you inhale and it then delivers a short pulse of O2.  The pulse size/duration is based on the setting and your altitude.  You still want to monitor your sats with a pulse ox device.

It reduces O2 usage by a factor of 3 - 4 fold.  I picked up my plane in August 2022, and it had about 1600 pst in the tank (115 cf built in).  It was topped off at the annual in December.  And I am still at over 1100 psi.   And I have flown it about 120 hours, mostly at O2 altitudes.  Mainly myself, but several trips on O2 with a second person.

I agree that the boom cannula is more comfotable, but I have no trouble with a basic cannula.  FYI you do NOT use a oxygensaving cannula with the O2D2.

 

Yes, a friend of mine told me about the O2D2 system, looking into it now. Thx

[Marc_B]

Precise flight has the X3 demand system as well as looking at O2D2 pulse system. Same concept, different mechanism. Basic gist is instead of constant flow, it senses when you take a breath and delivers flow then. This helps cut down on oxygen use and decreases  tank fill frequency.  Not to mention that constant flow really dries out my sinuses and nasal passages. Pulse demand is much more comfortable for me. 
Both precise flight as well as mountain high have mask systems and they work really well. I have o2d2 and at the lowest mask flow setting I’m 98% SPO2 at FL250. 
Having a turbo with oxygen can be done safely and helps navigate weather as well as take advantage of good winds and less drag of altitude. 
I keep 2 finger pulse ox in the aircraft. One hanging from the prop knob, the other in my flight bag. Get in the habit of checking every 15-30 min and it’s no biggie. 
one last thing of flying high is it gives you a much bigger glide ring in case of emergency. So I think it’s a value add, not a safety minus. 

[Fly Boomer]

4 hours ago, Z W said:

It works great.  I land feeling more refreshed after a flight on oxygen than after a flight in a pressurized cabin, where the cabin altitude might be 8k or more.

I have flown millions of miles on the airlines.  Never fun, but the overwater flights always left me feeling beat up.  Now that I have oxygen, I'm pretty sure my problem was long durations in an 8,000-foot cabin without oxygen.  Lots of guys say they strap it on at 8,000 or 10,000 feet, but I'm more likely to use it almost all the time.

[NewMoon]

54 minutes ago, Marc_B said:

Precise flight has the X3 demand system as well as looking at O2D2 pulse system. Same concept, different mechanism. Basic gist is instead of constant flow, it senses when you take a breath and delivers flow then. This helps cut down on oxygen use and decreases  tank fill frequency.  Not to mention that constant flow really dries out my sinuses and nasal passages. Pulse demand is much more comfortable for me. 
Both precise flight as well as mountain high have mask systems and they work really well. I have o2d2 and at the lowest mask flow setting I’m 98% SPO2 at FL250. 
Having a turbo with oxygen can be done safely and helps navigate weather as well as take advantage of good winds and less drag of altitude. 
I keep 2 finger pulse ox in the aircraft. One hanging from the prop knob, the other in my flight bag. Get in the habit of checking every 15-30 min and it’s no biggie. 
one last thing of flying high is it gives you a much bigger glide ring in case of emergency. So I think it’s a value add, not a safety minus. 

Yes, looking at both conservation systems. And I do like the larger glide ring altitude offers. thx for your input.

we have an Ox sensor so will be watching it closely 

[Fritz1]

My wife and I are in our mid 60s, we use two precise flight X3 demand conservers and two boom cannulas, really like them, glued phone ear buds on the boom cannula outlets for better seal, I also have a precise flight mask which I do not like that much, we typically fly the Bravo at 14,000 - 21,000 ft depending on wind, the critical altitude on the turbo is between 21k and 22k, I turn the O2 to full flow around 8000 ft with the cruising altitude set on the demand conservers, oxygenation stays at 96-98%, the demand conservers make a huge difference, cut consumption by about 2/3, we get about 20h out of a full 115cft, tank crusing at O2 altitudes, I have a 300 cft rental tank on a cart in the hangar, think costs about $120 per year for the rental and $120 for refill swap, I typically swap when it is down to 750 psi, the main reason for the tank in the hangar is convenience, FBO also used to ding my O2 door, I could probably buy the tank for $600, overall having the tank is a wash financially, don't have to call anybody for refill, could rent two tanks and cascade them, would not help financially, O2 transfer boost pump is at least $10k new, most FBOs don't have one. Bottom line O2 really works, turn on early and use a copious amount, last not least watch for dry sinuses, can lead to bad cold, I flush my sinuses with saline solution after O2 flight since I got a bad cold once after a long O2 winter flight, draft on the left side of the cabin from a leaking vent had something to do with it

[NewMoon]

1 hour ago, Fritz1 said:

My wife and I are in our mid 60s, we use two precise flight X3 demand conservers and two boom cannulas, really like them, glued phone ear buds on the boom cannula outlets for better seal, I also have a precise flight mask which I do not like that much, we typically fly the Bravo at 14,000 - 21,000 ft depending on wind, the critical altitude on the turbo is between 21k and 22k, I turn the O2 to full flow around 8000 ft with the cruising altitude set on the demand conservers, oxygenation stays at 96-98%, the demand conservers make a huge difference, cut consumption by about 2/3, we get about 20h out of a full 115cft, tank crusing at O2 altitudes, I have a 300 cft rental tank on a cart in the hangar, think costs about $120 per year for the rental and $120 for refill swap, I typically swap when it is down to 750 psi, the main reason for the tank in the hangar is convenience, FBO also used to ding my O2 door, I could probably buy the tank for $600, overall having the tank is a wash financially, don't have to call anybody for refill, could rent two tanks and cascade them, would not help financially, O2 transfer boost pump is at least $10k new, most FBOs don't have one. Bottom line O2 really works, turn on early and use a copious amount, last not least watch for dry sinuses, can lead to bad cold, I flush my sinuses with saline solution after O2 flight since I got a bad cold once after a long O2 winter flight, draft on the left side of the cabin from a leaking vent had something to do with it

great idea on sinus flu

[NewMoon]

Just now, NewMoon said:

great idea on sinus flu

*sinus flush

[LANCECASPER]

2 hours ago, NewMoon said:

Yes, looking at both conservation systems. And I do like the larger glide ring altitude offers. thx for your input.

we have an Ox sensor so will be watching it closely 

Make sure that if you're going into the flight levels that you have an oxygen backup.

When you realize that the primary oxygen hasn't been flowing for a few minutes you need something to get you down to a breathable altitude. A Mountain High portable system works, even just a can of Boost in each of the seat back pockets is better than nothing and most importantly it's quick and easy. Also it's a good idea to have a breathable altitude entered in your altitude pre-select when you're in the flight levels so all you have to do is initiate the descent if an oxygen emergency happens, knowing it will level off at a safe, breathable altitude.

[NewMoon]

1 minute ago, LANCECASPER said:

Make sure that if you're going into the flight levels that you have an oxygen backup.

When you realize that the primary oxygen hasn't been flowing for a few minutes you need something to get you down to a breathable altitude. A Mountain High portable system works, even just a can of Boost in each of the seat back pockets is better than nothing and most importantly it's quick and easy. Also it's a good idea to have a breathable altitude entered in your altitude pre-select when you're in the flight levels so all you have to do is initiate the descent if an oxygen emergency happens, knowing it will level off at a safe, breathable altitude.

yes, we always carry Boost. Great idea to pre- select an altitude that is not dependent on O2. 

[Schllc]

44 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

Make sure that if you're going into the flight levels that you have an oxygen backup.

Best advice you could ever get. 

[M20F-1968]

On 9/23/2023 at 8:42 AM, Pinecone said:

I HIGHLY recommend getting a Mountain High O2D2.  

It greatly reduces your O2 consumption, but keeps your sats up.  It works be sensing when you inhale and it then delivers a short pulse of O2.  The pulse size/duration is based on the setting and your altitude.  You still want to monitor your sats with a pulse ox device.

It reduces O2 usage by a factor of 3 - 4 fold.  I picked up my plane in August 2022, and it had about 1600 pst in the tank (115 cf built in).  It was topped off at the annual in December.  And I am still at over 1100 psi.   And I have flown it about 120 hours, mostly at O2 altitudes.  Mainly myself, but several trips on O2 with a second person.

I agree that the boom cannula is more comfotable, but I have no trouble with a basic cannula.  FYI you do NOT use a oxygensaving cannula with the O2D2.

 

I also use the Mountain High O2D2.  It works well.

John Breda

[Pinecone]

With the O2D2, due to the short pulses, it doesn't dry you out as much.  Did 7 hours at 17K and had no issues.