Oxygen Requirements difference between CA,JAR and FAA

[captaintoocool]

Can Someone please clarify the oxygen requirment difference between FAA, JAR and CA for pressurized a/c please?

Is it that you need supplemental oxygen above 10000' cabin pressure for CA? What about 100% oxygen on demand and emergency 100% oxygen?

And am I correct in regards to my interpretation of FAA rules?
No oxygen required from 0>12500'
30mins max with no oxygen 12500>14000'
Crew require oxygen <14000'
Pax require oxygen <15000'


Thanks in advance!

[maverick22]

I think with CASA it is masks on at 10,000 but dont quote me on that.

Umm yeah probably won't be quoting you on that. You should probably have a read of the CAOs sometime

see here:

http://www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_asset...cao20/2004.pdf

[eocvictim]

Normally I wouldn't get involved but its getting annoying; Roxy if you dont know, dont post. If you're unsure find the answer first, "better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt".

Unfortunately I dont have the exact answers for FAA or JAR. I think you will find they're similar to the CASA model with some increased height exceptions due to differences with terrain and Flight levels.

CASA requirements, as I'm sure you're aware captaintoocool, is all laid out in CAO 20.4 with equipment requirements under CAO 108.26

It all comes down to aircraft and application. There is a hell of a lot more to it than just "oxy on above ten" but its all there.

Edit: Beaten to the link.

[compressor stall]

I find it bloody annoying how Australian pilots must get hypoxic flying at FL120 but American ones obviously don't.

That CASA reg is a right royal PITA.
talking about unpressurised aircraft

[eocvictim]

CS, I find it amazing the sepos are willing to go to those levels without O2.

I've done a bit of flying between 10 - 15K on "Oxymizer" nasal cannula. I find myself "sucking" on the o2 the whole flight while other pilots are "happy" (side effect if you ask me) to sit there without it.

I'm a non smoking, fit, in my 20s and I play a lot of sport. People find it funny that I feel the need to use oxygen, I find it funny they think they dont.

More recently to illustrate a point I had my sats measured at a cabin of 9,000ft. It read 96%. 2 normal breaths on the demand flow at 65% and I was back to 100% which is where I normally sit. I haven’t tested it but I'm sure my sats would be at or below 95% at FL120. If thats the case for someone who is fit and healthy then how will an overwieght 50yo smoker fair?

[Tinstaafl]

FARs distinguish between flight crew/pax/private/commercial (Part 135) ops. in unpressurised a/c.

Pax: > 15000' - Supplemental O2 must be provided (the rules don't say 'used')

Private:

Crew: > 14000' - Supplemental O2 required to be used
> 12500' -14000' - Max 30mins and then O2 required to be used
< 12500 - no O2

Part 135 ie Charter

Crew: > 12000' - Supplemental O2 required to be used
> 10000' -12000' - Max 30mins and then O2 required to be used
< 10000 - no O2

There are additional rules for pressurised aircraft, medical use and the like but that's the nub of it from memory.

[djpil]

The USA regs seemed quite appropriate to me when I was living there. Home was an elevation of an elevation of 6200 ft. Took a few months for the body to adjust to the altitude.
A local flight needed at least 11,000 ft. 12,000 along the Snake River Valley into Jackson Hole from Alpine was good. A short hop to 14,000 was useful to get over a ridge heading east.

[bushy]

Yes, the rest of the world can handle flight at 12,000, but australian pilots must be substandard so they need oxygen at 10,000.
Also the piper Lance has a limited life of 11,000 hours in Australia but this limitation is for Australia only.
We also have to have our own different airspace rules and procedures, despite having very little traffic.
One day we may catch up with the rest of the world.

[eocvictim]

This is what happens when you choose to fly around hypoxic.



Ever think it was "fine" becuase you were slightly hypoxic?

[Aerozepplin]

From my experience the body struggles well below 10,000ft, so I don't think the requirement is excessive. From outdoor experience you notice anything above 5000ft, and in my younger days we'd spend at least a night at altitude if we were operating above that height. Of course that was physical activity, but none the less.

I've heard references to studies about vision and decision making at altitude (7000-10,000ft range I believe) that really shocked me. There's some good stuff on AVweb on the subject.

[compressor stall]

I often fly between 10-12K unpressurised. O2 is available from mask or cannular, but to have both flight crew continuously sucking gas at FL110 to pop over some cloud is overkill IMHO.

[Tinstaafl]

...and that's the intent of the the FAR 30 min limit for that small altitude band that buffers 'no O2' & 'O2 required'. I've used it heaps of times to clear over a limited area of weather. After experiencing it here it surprises me that Oz & UK don't have a similar transition. It hardly makes sense to me that our physiology abruptly changes to need full time O2 within a few feet - which is the assumption behind Oz & UK regs.

[captaintoocool]

Thanks alot guys, alot of useful informations there. cheers!

[The Green Goblin]

When I was flying pistons cruising at 10,000 feet after lunch god I used to get sleepy! Sometimes it was a struggle just to keep my eyes open. I used to make sure I was hand flying without the autopilot on just to try and stay awake. Drop to a lower level and it went away, although the thermal turbulence was usually the cause of that

Roxy, reading a human factors book does not entitle you to offer advice on these issues. I suggest if you want to become a knowledgeable contributer you have a good study of the CAO, CAR, CASR, AIP/Jepps and even ERSA. Sounds like your heart is in the right spot but don't get yourself a reputation because of your ignorance.