Originally Posted by
Dick Smith
Do I read the new Part 91 legislation, due to come in on 2 December 2021, correctly regarding supplemental oxygen?
Rather than copy the proven US system, in Australia CASA has come up with a requirement that will add considerably to the cost. That is, they require the aircraft to be fitted with an oxygen system to fly above 10,000 feet, even though they have copied the FAA system in not requiring it to be used up to 12,500 feet.
Can anyone explain why there is such a requirement?
Flying above 10,000 feet quite often gets you above the inversion layer and means the flight is smooth and less fatiguing. It also means better fuel economy and a greater distance to glide if there is an engine failure in a single engine plane.
In the CASA plain English guide to Pt 91 it states oxygen requirements have been relaxed. It then states:
“Supplemental oxygen (MOS 26.43)
An aircraft operated at a pressure altitude above FL 125 must be fitted with supplemental oxygen equipment which can store and dispense the oxygen to crew members and passengers as set out in the following table.”
So as I read it, the new lower limit for oxygen is 12,500 ft. What’s your reference for the 10,000 ft limit?