When Nature Calls??

[tcr1016]

I am new to flying and I have been wondering one thing, but tooo embarrassed to ask pilots in person. What do you do when nature calls when at you are at 10,000 feet in a Cessna 172? Especially when that bean burrito is not sitting well (I will not name restaurants :). I have not had this happen yet, but want to know what the pros do. Oh and I already know the pucker factor and praying, so any other situations (mishaps). Don't be shy.

Newbie pilot

[Confabulous]

The more logistically awkward call of nature could be a problem - but I didn't even know a 172 could get to 10,000ft without a JATO pack, so that's news to me.

I suggest holding it :}

[tcr1016]

10,000 was just a rough estimate. I have not been much higher than 5,000, but man or woman can only hold it for so long.

[GotheriK]

Now that I think about it, what COULD you do?

I've never had to use the restroom that badly in-flight, but what if, you know?

I guess if you couldn't land, use the sick-bag and old sectional charts, and pray you don't have the runs.:ouch:

[jai6638]

Good planning is part of the being a good pilot! Hence, one would hope that you do not eat stuff that would cause such probs ;)

I hope that never happens to me though.. It would really suck

[soay]

If it's only a number one, try these glider pilots' solutions:

http://soaring.aerobatics.ws/ART/pee.html

[shortstripper]

I'm sure there are better methods now (see previous post), but a tampon in a plastic bottle used to be used quite often ... as for the other, cross your legs but not the controls :E

SS

[IO540]

There is only one way to fly trips longer than one could drive in the same length of time: carry something you can wee into.

The red plastic bottle carried by the usual pilot shops is good, and it also has a "gurl adaptor" available which also works although the lady might wish to climb into the back seat (not for privacy as much as that she needs to be more vertical when using it).

Personally I carry a few empty Tropicana plastic juice bottles. They have very good screw tops and never leak, even when you part-fill them at FL160 and then descend, with the pressure change crunching the bottle. One just chucks them in the nearest skip. They can be used while sitting down; it's even just possible to do the radio.

[172driver]

.... and of course there's always that wonderful NRST button on your GPS :E

[the dean]

I am new to flying and I have been wondering one thing, but tooo embarrassed to ask pilots in person. What do you do when nature calls when at you are at 10,000 feet in a Cessna 172? Especially when that bean burrito is not sitting well (I will not name restaurants :). I have not had this happen yet, but want to know what the pros do. Oh and I already know the pucker factor and praying, so any other situations (mishaps). Don't be shy.

Newbie pilot

tcr 1016...

i had a friend ..used to do long flights in an aztec. he used a rubber hot water bottle...and then on those cold nights..put it under his feet to warm them..!!..afterburner of a different kind...!!:D

for the other...no cure...just do'nt eat the wrong food before a long flight...but if u gotta go ...u gotta go and if you have passengers you'll all have to share the experience...!!:}

confabulous....

not unusual for a C172 to be over 10,000....the ceiling is much higher but you have to watch out for signs of oxygen narcosis.i had one with the new diesel engine at FL140 for 40 minutes on a 170 mile trip recently. i had 600/700 ft/min for most of the climb but then there is a turbocharger in that kit. got a bad headache and had come back to FL100...but they will go there without JATO..:ok: ...best to have a friend so you can watch each other...but i am not suggesting you should fly above 10,000 as a regular thing without oxygen..

burn jet A1...!!!:D

dean.

[Kolibear]

Essential part of pre-flight checks - go for a jimmy. Once you actually get up & flying, then you just don't want to seem to go.

However, once you've landed - then the urge can come on a bit strong :uhoh:

[S-Works]

tcr 1016...

i had a friend ..used to do long flights in an aztec. he used a rubber hot water bottle...and then on those cold nights..put it under his feet to warm them..!!..afterburner of a different kind...!!:D

for the other...no cure...just do'nt eat the wrong food before a long flight...but if u gotta go ...u gotta go and if you have passengers you'll all have to share the experience...!!:}

confabulous....

not unusual for a C172 to be over 10,000....the ceiling is much higher but you have to watch out for signs of oxygen narcosis.i had one with the new diesel engine at FL140 for 40 minutes on a 170 mile trip recently. i had 600/700 ft/min for most of the climb but then there is a turbocharger in that kit. got a bad headache and had come back to FL100...but they will go there without JATO..:ok: ...best to have a friend so you can watch each other...but i am not suggesting you should fly above 10,000 as a regular thing without oxygen..

burn jet A1...!!!:D

dean.

My 172 spends most of it's life well above 10,000 I generally fly everywhere around FL140-FL150 allthough it will go (and has) to FL170 without problem.

I get the best fuel economy and TAS up there and it gets me above most of the weather.

I have O2 of course.

I have one of those portable "John" things with the gel in it but have never needed to use it. The aircraft range is 6hrs at those levels but my attention span is not that long so I tend to go in 4hr legs. I am still young enough to be able to hold my bladder and bowl for that long!

And there is no such thing as Oxygen Narcosis, Nitrogen Narcosis which is a result of increased PN2 not reduced. You mean Hypoxia.....

[Twiddle]

Forget that, I'd be more worried about some 20st Harry with a collection bag asking for toilet paper in a 152.......

[englishal]

Divert....simple as that. There is no way my wife would use a portable thingy. Do it early though, I was once over the SW USA deserts en-route to Laughlin and was busting. I could see Laughlin in the distance but it was still a good 100miles away and there was no where else to land (we considered a road:O ). It was close, but we just made it to parking.

I heard about this chap who was in such a rush to get down for a pee, he busted airspace and then landed without permission. After he checked in on the subsequent telephone number he was given they let him off due to the unusual circumstances :)

[Gertrude the Wombat]

I didn't even know a 172 could get to 10,000ft without a JATO pack
Got one to FL95 without any trouble. Could see pretty well the whole of East Anglia - navigvation was just point and shoot.

[Egnatia Instructor]

I had 1.5 left out of a 4.5 trip and one of the pax had to go, therefore I diverted to my alternate, still had to announce to the world why, quite embarrassing as the ATC did not speak great English and another aircraft translated for me.. I wanted to scream, "It’s not me it's the pax":O

Better than having to clean the aircraft though.

EI

[IO540]

That's why there is absolutely no point in not carrying something to pee into. Really really simple.

Poo is something else.... I would make it very clear to passengers that they have to be sorted before we depart. In general, short of having eaten something dreadful shortly before, or having just had a barium enema done, this isn't a problem :)

[LH2]

Remember the seven P's and you should not find yourself in that situation often enough that you should need to worry.
Having said that, I tend to carry some Imodium with me during longish trips and a regular plastic bag should take care of any unmitigable Type-B urges if a diversion is not feasible. Will take a bit of manouevering in a small cockpit, and you will need to live with the smell until you can dispose of it properly (tossing it out of the window does not qualify as proper disposal) but I don't see why it can't be done.
So there you go. Happy flights.
In principle only to prevent reocurrence, but it can be used preemptively as well, four tables before you go and you won't have to worry for a good 24hrs. Not recommended though.

[kookabat]

"...Lavatories are located at either end of the flight..."

[Hamid_27]

if one does not know how to control their personal pre flight checks, one could simply take a few tablets of imodiam lol


regards

Hamid

[PCentR]

A small kit to take care of any (either) problem is easy to put together.
Standard (TSA approved!) 1 qt ziplocs, diaper gel (safesorb or other binding powder, safesorb.com, a hospital/lab product), two large garbage bags, a roll of paper towels, some baby wipes, a pair of rubber gloves, and some tie wraps.
I have a small cooler (12 can) that doubles as a box for ropes, oil, funnel, etc, but it can be emptied.
To micturate enroute, put the safesorb in a plastic ziploc AFTER testing it with air for leaks, and place a towel or two in the lap for a barrier. The gel absorbs the urine quickly, giving a hard snow consistency. Place it in a separate ziploc for safety and stow in an opaque bag for disposal later. This can be done by the motivated female, I promise.
If the undesirable is inevitable, line the cooler or other bag/box with the garbage bag, and offset front seats so you can hang a cheek and place yourself over the open bag. Some safesorb (or towels) will help if consistency is, er, thin. The gloves help stay clean and the baby wipes are helpful later (toothpaste works as hand soap in a pinch). The bag can be closed with the tiewrap and then placed in a second bag with a closure, making the rest of the trip bearable.
Except for the "box" the whole kit fits in a single ziploc.

[S-Works]

A small kit to take care of any (either) problem is easy to put together.
Standard (TSA approved!) 1 qt ziplocs, diaper gel (safesorb or other binding powder, safesorb.com, a hospital/lab product), two large garbage bags, a roll of paper towels, some baby wipes, a pair of rubber gloves, and some tie wraps.
I have a small cooler (12 can) that doubles as a box for ropes, oil, funnel, etc, but it can be emptied.
To micturate enroute, put the safesorb in a plastic ziploc AFTER testing it with air for leaks, and place a towel or two in the lap for a barrier. The gel absorbs the urine quickly, giving a hard snow consistency. Place it in a separate ziploc for safety and stow in an opaque bag for disposal later. This can be done by the motivated female, I promise.
If the undesirable is inevitable, line the cooler or other bag/box with the garbage bag, and offset front seats so you can hang a cheek and place yourself over the open bag. Some safesorb (or towels) will help if consistency is, er, thin. The gloves help stay clean and the baby wipes are helpful later (toothpaste works as hand soap in a pinch). The bag can be closed with the tiewrap and then placed in a second bag with a closure, making the rest of the trip bearable.
Except for the "box" the whole kit fits in a single ziploc.

My god, whats up with making them go for a dump before the flights takes off and diverting if the need really arises?

There are very few places or aircraft in GA flying that require this sort of preperation or need for this discussion!

[PCentR]

The request said not to be shy. There are reasons to know these things.
www.n30ew.com

[Whirlybird]

Most of us don't fly long enough legs for it to be a major problem. Eat sensibly beforehand, go to the loo before you go, and land after a couple of hours for lunch and a break....hey, this is supposed to be fun!

But at the other end of the scale I remember Polly Vacher being asked during a talk what she did during her first round-the-world flight during the 16-hour leg over the Pacific. She gave an extremely funny account of getting out of her drysuit and many layers of clothes and using her plastic bottle thingy. I don't think anyone asked her about poo, but in the middle of the Pacific, when solo....needs must, and I'm sure she found a way.

[smith]

Remember reading a post of someone who urgently needed a No.2 on a long trip, a McDonalds cola cup was in the cabin (a super sized one) and was the ideal receptacle. The consistency wasn't the best and neither was the aroma. The C172 window was opened and the offfending item was ejected.

On landing the empenage of the plane was suitably decorated in the style of a dirty protester in the H blocks.

Made me chuckle.

[On-MarkBob]

If it's your own aircraft, or one you use very regularly, then perhaps you could fit a 'Pee Tube'. These tubes are available from most good aviation 'chandleries'. They consist of a 'Pee Cup' with a legnth of pipe that goes to a venturi under the aircraft and in the prop slipstream. The suck they produce is remakable (I will leave the obvious comment!) and they can be used equally well by women.

I once fitted the device for a friend of mine who had an arial photography job and spent so much time aloft he had to have surgery for kidney stones!

His airborne life improved imeasurably. Further, we were able to tuck the unit out of sight behind part of the carpet that went up the side just behind the rudder peddles. - All certified and approved!

If you own a Cherokee Arrow, don't pee into a bag and put it out of the DV window. I know someone who did that in Africa, it went over the pitot head on the aircraft side, the one that controls the Gear.

"What - no airspeed? - he must be landing". So the gear went down and the resultant drag meant he could no longer make his destination, and in Africa that's bad!

[eharding]

.... and of course there's always that wonderful NRST button on your GPS :E

Quite a hard target to hit, and it would probably knacker the GPS. Might raise a few laughs at the Garmin service center through.

[Avionyx]

As has been suggested I always carry an empty plastic bottle, Tropicana is fine but for those who require a wider brim I would suggest "Oasis" lovely wide top, nice capacity and doesn't leak - thank good!

When flying in and out of farm strips of course there may not be facilities available, much more descrete to pee in the cruise than some farmers field!

Avionyx

[FakePilot]

It's something we all think about and fear, but never talk about it. Until now.

My underground toilet kit: saran wrap, toilet paper, ziplock bags (2).
Unfortunately, my planning did not count for one thing: what to do with the bag. See, underground is very dangerous place for items that can be smashed, punctured, or damaged by water.

Solution: put it in my helmet. Nice and warm. Extra padding too! The s**thead jokes afterward were just a bonus.

[Whirlybird]

It's something we all think about and fear

We do??? I'd never actually even considered it till this thread came up. I go for a pee beforehand, and that's it. Seriously, I can't ever, in ten years of flying, recall it having been a problem. Leaving aside those who fly across the Atlantic, or just have to do Northern England to Southern Europe in one hop, do many others actually think about this that much?

[flyingfemme]

Leaving aside those who fly across the Atlantic, or just have to do Northern England to Southern Europe in one hop, do many others actually think about this that much?
Not often a problem; as already suggested, it's the last thing to do before a flight and the first thing after. Please hurry, Mr Customs!
For emergency use I always carry a couple of "convenience" bags
http://www.gkrindustries.com/images/BagIllustWithText2.jpg
usable by both sexes. I tend to nip in the back and kneel down :O
During my first 14 hour leg in an Archer, wearing a drysuit, I made use of the trusty ziploc bag - inside the suit, it was a lot easier than taking it off!

[On-MarkBob]

One for Whirlybird. It's thinking about things like this that makes for better flight preparation, I think. Perhaps many may not be aware that the prime cause of pilot incapacitation is by far tummy trouble and associated 'gastric works' and this can be incredibly debilitating. Full marks for those planning for such eventualities. One can only say that there are two kinds of pilots, ones that have had the indignity of having to go in flight, and simply those who are going to suffer the same.
I'm lucky I guess, since I am now of that age at which I can make the decision never to fly an aircraft that doesn't have a toilet on board!

[FakePilot]

We do???

Sorry, the portentous dramatic tone just didn't come through on the Internet. :)

[IO540]

I think this thread has become totally bogged down (hohoho) in confusion between pee and poo.

Pooing while in the air must be an awful problem. An autopilot will take care of the controls, and you can warn ATC in advance to not expect you online, but you need a sizeable container which can be sealed, and it's going to be very messy. I know this is stating the obvious but if you need to poo that badly then you must have a serious internal upset and what comes out is not going to be of particularly solid consistency!! Nor is it going to come out slowly... I would guess a large self-seal plastic bag is going to work, but there's going to be a lot of cleaning up to do.

Peeing is easy, using the various devices described. Women will probably prefer a bit of privacy, like climbing into the back seat, but it works perfectly.

Leaving aside those who fly across the Atlantic, or just have to do Northern England to Southern Europe in one hop, do many others actually think about this that much?

The name of the game in long distance touring is to get somewhere which is different, interesting, etc, and (in case the weather goes bad) OK to spend a few days in before moving on. One can't usually achieve that in a 30 minute flight; well not from the UK. I like to make the first leg 4-5 hours and that gets you somewhere nice and warm.

I'd say that something to pee into is absolutely essential. Maybe gurlz have better bladder control (because a proper gurl can't just get behind a tree and whip it out like a boy can) but I have been on an 1hr flight and ended up absolutely totally completely desperate and just about to pee myself. Especially in the winter, and doubly so on winter evenings/nights.

There is no excuse for not carrying a bottle to pee into. It's totally bonkers to expect somebody to land, just for this purpose, surely :ugh:

[Mixed Up]

There is no excuse for not carrying a bottle to pee into. It's totally bonkers to expect somebody to land, just for this purpose, surely :ugh:


It depends on the aircraft and the type of flying. For some types, landing in a field when on a long cross country and having a pee is quite feasible, whereas having a pee in the air is asking for trouble (microlights and some open cockpits for example).:O

[Whirlybird]

And some of us know we can hold on for three hours or more if we have to. It's not a big deal for me. Can't everyone? :confused:

[Mixed Up]

And some of us know we can hold on for three hours or more if we have to. It's not a big deal for me. Can't everyone? :confused:


Depends on how drunk I am!

[IO540]

For some types, landing in a field when on a long cross country and having a pee is quite feasible

and you would risk a pothole in the grass, a broken gear, broken prop, engine shock loading? Or much worse. All for a pee?

Perhaps in "some types" one doesn't bother with a shock load inspection?

[Avionyx]

It depends on the aircraft and the type of flying. For some types, landing in a field when on a long cross country and having a pee is quite feasible,

Assuming it was a properly assessed and prepared field of course!
Although you'd also have to assume that the farmer was friendly, having previously stopped my car to have a bit of a wee in a remote field and being shouted at by a big farmer.

It was reasonably easy to run away with a car, hopping in an aircraft might be a bit harder!

Avionyx

[rudestuff]

Got one to FL95 without any trouble. Could see pretty well the whole of East Anglia - navigvation was just point and shoot.

While we're on the subject - I got a 152 to 14,000' - it just takes a long time...

[3FallinFlyer]

I was dropping a mate off at Filton once, he had never flown in a light a/c before and he had sank a couple of pints before we took off. As the journey progressed he got more & more desperate. As soon as we were on the runway at Filton he needed to get out. I told him we would have to taxi clear of the runway. I tried to make it to the parking area but as we passed the tower he said he really couldn't hold it any more. I don't know what atc must have thought as we shut down right in front of the tower and a large skinhead jumped out of the plane facing straight towards them and relieved himself all over the taxiway!! (I always carry a red bottley thing now)