Wed Jan 19, 2022 10:47 am
#1894356
First thing to do will be get an Oximeter or two. Test them on the ground to get the figures that are normal for you and it (them) - if you can only get eg 96 sitting on the sofa close to sea level, you'll be chasing an uphill struggle to get 97+ sitting fat and dumb at FL120+. If you haven't already got one, get a flow meter too if you want to understand when & where it's going, and also a selection of cannulas to find out which you are comfortable with. Masks are expensive and relatively uncomfortable (IIRC Mountain High are the only realistic option) so you might consider constraining your operations to sub eg FL160 until you work out how to manage.
Then for getting oxygen itself, it's one of those 'it depends' situations. If you buy in sufficient quantities it is cheap, but the up-front costs are higher. If you only need enough for 10 hours/year then you may not consider it worth it. I'm nearer the high use end, and for a large cylinder at 3000psi, the annual rental is just over £50 equivalent, and an Aviatiors Breathing Oxygen (ABO) refill is about the same (but that's from PanGas, the UK equivalent would be someone like BOC). With oxysaver canulas and an altitude compensating regulator but no fancy/expensive pulse regulators, that's something like 200 man hours at FL200 (for a big installed cylinder, gives 3 refills from close to empty to full in between, plus a bit more if you don't need a full aircraft cylinder)
Also think about how much flying between home base visits - getting oxygen whilst away can be awkward - it's easier with a portable system, but as a portable is likely to be smaller, then you're more likely to need to do it. Built in systems will be subject to the aircraft airworthiness requirements which can add some challenges (eg a W&B correction whilst the cylinder is out for testing) and some FBOs will bend you over for a refill.
Historical tale: I used to flog between White Waltham and La Rochelle frequently (around a couple of hours), normally FL080/090 without oxygen, and the evening after arrival/next day would be distinctly knackered. Subsequently doing Mulhouse-La Rochelle (also a couple of hours ish) at FL180/190 with oxygen, no tiredness problem at all
(Nerd detail: fixed cylinder/regulator is an Avox 895-08015 used with Scott Green adapters, Oxysaver cannulas & Avox flowmeters, or MH masks and Avox flowmeters)
You can sleep in an aeroplane, but you can't fly a house