AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2021 - 42

PILOT BRIEFING
PILOT PRODUCTS

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Going high
Aerox portable oxygen system offers range, endurance, and speed in a bottle
B Y D AV E H I R S C H M A N

BEING SHOT
THURSDAY

VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT across the East
Coast, but this was shaping up to be a challenging flight.
The 700-nm route from Central Florida
to western Maryland was at the edge of
the AOPA Sweepstakes RV-10's nonstop
range; a 50-knot northwest wind at altitude
meant turbulence was likely in the lee of
the Appalachian Mountains; the last hour
of the four-hour trip would take place after
dark, and I was tired from a hectic schedule
and had just finished a three-hour drive.
The wind between 5,000 and 8,000
feet, where the normally aspirated RV-10
typically flies, was unfavorable with a
20-knot headwind component. But above
11,000 feet, the wind direction changed to a
quartering tailwind-and the combination
of a faster groundspeed and reduced fuel
consumption at a higher altitude meant
I'd be able to land at my destination with a
one-hour fuel reserve.
My ace in the hole was a portable Aerox
aviation oxygen system. Strapping on the
nose cannula and letting the oxygen flow at
altitude would help me stay alert and avoid

42 | AOPA PILOT January 2021

the postflight headaches I often get after
long flights above 10,000 feet. The Sweeps
RV-10 has a built-in pulse oximeter so I'd
be able to keep tabs on my blood oxygen
level throughout the flight.
Leaving Central Florida at 4 p.m., I
picked up flight following, made my way to
the coastline, and climbed without oxygen
to 11,500 feet. There, the pulse oximeter
showed an oxygen saturation level of 85
percent, down from 98 percent at sea level.
I felt fine, but 85 percent is a compromised blood oxygen level. I'm a nonsmoker,
59 years old, and in good physical shape, so
I was somewhat surprised by the relatively
low reading. I put on the cannula, opened
the valve on the oxygen tank, and adjusted
the needle valve for the current altitude.
My blood oxygen level instantly rose to 94
percent. A few minutes later, it was at 96
percent-almost the same as sea level.
The RV-10 has an exceptionally high
service ceiling for a nonturbocharged airplane-20,000 feet. I've taken it up to 17,500
feet, and that's near the limit of 18,000 feet
for nose cannula oxygen systems. But the

evening flight up the East Coast showed me
the biggest benefits from the oxygen system may actually come at " non-oxygen "
altitudes.
Above 10,000 feet, there's little air
traffic from fellow piston pilots, and the
turboprops (and jets) are usually far higher.
There are real range and endurance benefits for piston pilots above 10,000 feet, and
oxygen systems last a long time there. If the
oxygen system gets depleted or fails during
flight, there's no danger of a sudden loss of
consciousness. Pilots can simply descend
to comfortable altitudes and continue.
Portable oxygen systems aren't for
every flight. Sometimes stronger headwinds at high altitudes negate any benefits.
The Aerox system is a completely standalone unit that doesn't require aircraft
power, or even batteries.
Oxygen systems do need to be maintained, monitored, refilled, and there are
lots of ways for pilots and passengers to
mishandle them or use them incorrectly.
The cannulas can get uncomfortable during prolonged use, they can interfere with
the ear seals on ANR headsets, and refilling bottles at FBOs (instead of scuba shops
or hospital/industrial air service stations)
can be expensive.
Oxygen allows pilots to complete
some flights with greater speed and efficiency, fewer stops, more fuel reserves, less
fatigue, and-if we're lucky-smoother air.
Flight conditions were mostly pleasant
above 9,000 feet on this particular evening
and choppy below.
CONTACT: aerox.com
PRICE: Retail price for the four-person oxygen system: $773
EMAIL dave.hirschman@aopa.org
http://www.aerox.com
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2021
