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Old 4th May 2010 | 18:58
  #10 (permalink)  
GlueBall
 
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,627
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From: UTC +8
Well yes, Captain Pilot Positive, I have travelled a great deal, including numerous departures many years ago into and out of LPB/SLLP "El Alto" aeropuerto at 13,313' where the cabin altitude would be raised to no higher than 13,500' prior to touchdown.

You can descent the airplane at 2000fpm and simultaneously climb the cabin at 750fpm from 6000' to 13,500' . . . .

Pressurized cabin altitude and airplane altitude are SEPARATE; it doesn't matter at what altitude the airplane is, or as you incorrectly fuse these altitudes, as would be the case in a non pressurized airframe . . ."Minimum ROD/minimum level off times could help to offset any of these, including hypoxia, by extending acclimatisation times without the use of oxygen."

You can be at any airplane altitude, descent the airplane at any rate and level off the airplane at any altitude and separately and manually control cabin altitude, cabin rate of climb, to be at [and to stay at] 7000' or at 13,313' at any time. There is no necessity to "level off" the airplane or to use "minimum [airplane] ROD" in order to acclimatize passengers, as passengers would have to acclimatize themselves to 13,313' airport elevation.

Ideally, the cabin is raised slowly so as to be at 13,500' [200' above airport elevation] when on final approach. Personally, I haven't seen any people at La Paz walking around with oxygen bottles.
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