Cabin altitude Vs Age

[kuwait340]

Hello....

is there any limit for the age while flying at high cabin altitude ?

On the A320 while flying at max cruising level FL390 the cabin altitude will be at 8000 feet. will this have any effect on the old timers on the long term.

is there any rule of the thumb regarding this issue....a friend told me that there is one rule of thumb and it says (100-age=max cab.alt)

i.e 100-(age 30) = 70 ...so 7000 is the max cabin altitude for the age of 30...and do on...

should we also consider it's effect on the old pax (say +60) and if any very sick pax on a stretcher ?

thanks

[AerocatS2A]

I don't think you're using this 100-age rule of thumb thing properly. Max cabin altitude for age thirty is 7000'? Umm, what about all these pilots over thirty? For that matter what about pilots over 60?

Perhaps it should be 100-93 (for example) = 7 = 7000' max cabin alt for a 93 year old. Still sounds like bull though.

Anyway, I don't believe there is any specific rule. Obviously people who are unhealthy, whether due to age or not, should seek their doctor's advice before travelling by air!

[411A]

Age and altitude for folks in reasonably good health have no particular conflict.
I've seen over 60 folks out work, out climb much younger folks at high altitudes.
Strictly dependant on the individual.

[kuwait340]

but ...what about the quality and humidity level of the air...

is flying at 5000feet cab alt = flying at 8000feet cab alt ?

[Dutch74]

Where I live the climate is very dry at certain times of the year and the alt. is between 8-9000 ft. People in there 80's and 90's are everywhere. And they have to exert themselves more on a day to day basis then any passenger does in an airplane.

There's no restriction. Like the others said, if you are sick, consult your Doctor before you travel.

[Old Smokey]

I'm in agreement with other posters here that it's up to the individual, and their state of health, age seems to have nothing to do with it.
Here's one to ponder - People who have lived for most of their lives at high altitudes, e.g. Nepal, the Andes etc., function just as well at high altitude as do those peolple who have spent their lives at low altitudes. This is due to long term adaption and acclimatisation. It could be argued that the longer a pilot has spent at high altitude, the better adapted and acclimatised older pilot may well handle the reduced atmospheric pressure better than a younger and less adapted and acclimatised colleague!:ok:
Regards,
OLD Smokey

[john_tullamarine]

Perhaps our medical colleagues may offer some comments but conditions such as major head or chest wounds, impaired cardiac or pulmonary function, etc., appear to excite the medical folks if altitude is involved in transporting.

.. and we all know that the quickest way to incapacitate a team of troublemaking, drunken sports fans is to wind up the cabin and put the lot of them to sleep ...

[bubbers44]

When I was an FO on a 767 the captain climbed to FL430 for a smoother ride. Soon after level off we were advised one of the passengers had passed out and was put on oxygen. Ten minutes later the captain went back to see how the passenger was doing. I checked a few airports ahead of us and found one that would work for a possible divert. When the captain came back a few minutes later the passenger passed out again with oxygen on so we diverted and once on the ground the passenger wanted to continue with us but we left him there.

I have had similar situations many times and always get a lower altitude as soon as possible to get the cabin altitude down and have always continued to destination. That one divert cost the company more fuel and inconvenience than the fuel I burned the next 15 years using a lower altitude to help the situation.