10000'
 

Finally manged to achieve a physcological ambission of getting a 152 to 10,000' at the weekend. Once I got there started to worry about hypoxia as I was on my own so came strait back down again. Mind you had I been two up, probably wouldnt have got there.
Aboslutley majestic view from up there in a high wing, anybody else managed to coax one up that high? Certainly thought this is what flying is all about..the view, the freedom [cas considered].
Got me thinking about what else I can achieve? What challenges can I go for next that wont cost the earth?
Must keep the flame alive...

Yep, it usually takes that long.:E

Very good!!:D:D Like it...

I've flown a PA28 at 10,000 quite abit. It was in Phoenix and at that height was the only place were it was cool enough to enjoy the flight :ok:

oh and have had a glider up to 13,000ft too :E

Ive had a 152 up to 12000 ft 2up before.....
Sat there full chuff with indicated of 60kts.... :E

Must say went fL100 t'other week with Mr Horgy . passing 9000 I started to get a banging headache and had difficulty focusing properly on instruments .My breathing was also affected . Lcukily the much younger man was flying and was unaffected , bt it certainly gave me what I think is vaulabe information , I now know my no oxy limits . I will be going no higher than 85 when Im PIC . Intersting experience

Not a 152, but have had an 85hp Cessna 120 upto 11000' across the Alps. It took most of the way from Chambery to the Rocciamelone pass to get there.
Have also done the same in a Jodel 1050 and (much, much easier) an RV-4.

The ANO allows you upto FL100 without supp. oxygen and about half an hour upto FL120 IIRC.

stuff the ANO my body wasnt allowing me much over 95 so I think Ill be sticking with that

Developing severe symptoms like inability to focus without having spent some time at altitude (you suggest whilst still climbing- ie.almost instantly) suggests suboptimal physiology. Either heavy smoking / other lung disease / anaemia, or an aircraft issue like an exhaust leak. If you are youngish and fighting fit, get the aircraft checked.

:}:}:} yeh Im aware of that matey we had been at 85 for a while and it cos worse as we climbed up , I am far far from fighting fit and knocking on in years , got the same thing skiing in america . I got a class one easily enough though so Im not panicking just yet , give it another six months maybe though :)

So how long did it take to get the C152 to 10'000ft? Often wondered what it'd be like up that high in a tiny aeroplane - my gut feeling is that it'd be slightly freaky?

Been to 8000ft in C172 but never had the need to go higher than that and to be honest, would probably get bored in the process!

VFE.

Got an A65-powered Taylorcraft up to 10,000 ft (11,200 when I switched to 1013), just to see the number on the altimeter. Took me about 20 minutes to get back down for fear of shock-cooling the engine. It was mighty cold up there, if I remember correctly.

Had the Pitts up that high over Norfolk one time, too. Amazing cloud formations on that day, which was what got me to climb that high on that day.
I have to admit I felt a bit uncomfortable being that far away from the ground, as daft as that sounds.

Well done!

Pitts2112

Where abouts did you do it and how long did it take you
david

I've climbed to 12,000' in East Anglia a couple of times. Slightly more challenging as I did it both times in a glider in cloud. Climb rate was measured at 1,000' per minute and it took about ten minutes once in the cloud.

Climbed to 27,500' in a glider in the States along a wave bar over Minden (Nevada). Was still getting a climb rate of around 200' per minute but didn't go any higher due to my oxygen consumption and it's a bit chilly up there!

You should not get hypoxia at 10k, unless you have serious health issues, smoke, etc. If you do you should go to a doctor for a good check up because you are heading for big trouble.

Most people can spend hours a 10k with just tiredness and occassionally a headache.

Airliner cockpits are pressurised to about 8k, and there you are breathing pretty lousy air as well.

I agree flying high up is nice - on a clear day you get great views. I've done 18k. One needs an o2 kit for above about 11k; I can't remember the current CAA (G-reg) rules.

Years ago, I struggled up to 13800ft in a Chipmunk over Berkshire.....with an horrific hangover from the session in the White Waltham Officers Mess the previous evening!

Young and very stupid - but that was the UAS culture of the time and didn't seem to do many people any lasting harm!

Trying to get down again without knackering the engine was quite tricky, I settled for a series of 2G descending turns and felt even worse.

davidatter708
 

Where did I do it....Just to the south west of Shrewsbury below Class A N862

IO Im sorry there old chap but I have to disagree . Unless for some reason you think Im fibbing like a fibbing thing . I was suffering from , or rather should I say I was displaying symptoms of hypoxia from 85 upwards . This is not odd , strange or abnormal , and there is nothing wrong with me .I am fully fit and have ony recently done a class one , this coupled with the mediclas I have to have every 6 months for work confirms this . Any text you read with regard to hypoxia will tell you that a reduction in partial pressure of oxygen can be very sensitive to the body and a cabin pressure equivalent to 8000 ft produces a detectable impairment inmental performance . This increases with altitude , although most people can compensate up to 10-12 this is not the case for everybody . I am not a smoker not do I have any medical problems . But thanks for the scare mongering , However if you are an AME I will bow down to your greater intimate knowledge of my body and tell the boys at gatwick that you disagree with them

Ah, but can you do the fish dance?

While doing my FAA ASEL in '94 my qualifying cross country flights from VNY to SBO involved reaching approx 10000' over the Sierra Nevada in a C152. I was young and much fitter then and didn't notice any altitude effects.Lots of leaning required but it is quite possible. When I returned to the UK I couldn't believe everybody was flying around at 2000ft and leaning seemed to be something a PPL shouldn't be encouraged to take an interest in. I know that controlled airspace is the cause of a lot of celing restrictions in the South and central UK but not everywhere. Nowadays I rountinely fly up to FL200 in my M20 (I prefer to be at FL100-120 where I do not need O2), but crossing frontal weather or Alps can sometimes demand otherwise and I use a portable oximeter intermittently while I have O2 on. I agree with maxdrypower that even fit youngish people can see O2 sats drop significantly at or slightly below 10000ft. If I start to lose the ability to do simple cockpit maths then the O2 goes on. My head starts to throb when the oximeter is the the low 80s (usually FL130 and above) but I routinely put the O2 on above FL120. As soon as I have taken a couple of deep breaths then the sats are back up to 99%.Anybody out there using cannulae instead of masks?SB

SARM , I prefer the Clont Heim Klemmer dance , which can be found on any good compilation album of norwegian carpenters songs .
I stick to 2000 feet or therabouts cos Im scared of heights and prefer it down there Leaning is another subject and I agree with scooter boy , it is amazing how many pilots and indeed flying schools do not lean aircraft . And how many subscribe to the belief that you dont lean below certain altitudes . I believe that this is one of the reasons flying training costs so much on the UK . I forget the figures but im sure it says somehwere in the oparting manulas of most aircraft that lenaing should be done when operating at 75% power or more , give or ake dont jump on me thats from memory which may be wrong , I do know that altitude has nothing to do with it per se. How many people on here were taught to lean when learnig to fly ? I know I wasnt . I now fly a g1000 equipped 172 which is a group owned aircraft . The low price we pay for its use is based on the fuel useage as 8GPH , and we lean asap after levelling off to attain this . The Garmin is excellent for this as it has a lean assist mde that can tell you to .1 of a gallon how much you are using so you can lean very accurately . I cant say Ive ever looked properly at the fuel use at 2300rpm rfully rich but its in the region of about 11-12GPH . This is a significant fuel saving when leaned to 8GPH . Imagine how much flying schools would save if they leaned transiiting to and from their airfields and only used fully rich for manouevering etc etc this saving could then be passed down t the student , but hey hum . I have actually heard a pilot ask once why Mixture rich was in his airfield approach checks when he never touches it . Slightly off thread I l know but just adding to scooter boys bit

Go and get yourselves on an Aviation Medicine course, in the Baro chamber. You will learn alot about your own personal limitations indications.

Most won't notice the effects of hypoxia - because one of the effects is "Feeling Great". And this is whilst sitting in the chamber and actually expecting it.

Let alone bimbling along at 90kts trying to do your TAS calculations and watching your VSI, fumbling with the piddle pack because it is soooo cold. You'll never see hypoxia coming with such a high workload.

Went up to 10k a couple of weeks ago in a PA28 - didn't take long at all. Was still achieving about 400 fpm at the level off. That was in the south-west US where it was 40 deg C on the ground - it was a refreshing 5 deg C up at 10k. IAS was a bit on the low side mind :bored:

Just wanted to tick the box :ok:

V1R

Got to 10k in a 152 a few years back doing my night rating. Flew from Southend to overhead Norwich and back. Was a very clear night and you could see the Belgian coast quite clearly.

Took ages to get up there mind you.

PA28 Up high
 

About 6 weeks ago did FL180 in a PA28, The last 4000ft took forever! total sortie time till back on ground 2 hours 10 mins! Both GA pilots but we have a military experience as engineer/atc and did it professional in my view. Briefed on hypoxia (portable oxygen sets, watched each other for any tell tail signs), icing, airspace, emergencies. In the end the fpm was virtuallly nil, we selected flap at one stage to get a little lift!


NM

Once you have done 10k once, it really is no big deal, even in a C152. In California, where MEA's are often 11k or higher, you have to go at 11k or 12k, and everyone does it without 02. I spent about 3 hours at 12500, and as a (then) smoker didn't really notice any side effects.

Go and rent a T206T in the USA (because it is cheap) and do FL270 for a laugh (with 02) just once....

I don't doubt somebody gets ill at 8000ft and I never suggested otherwise - if you read what I actually wrote.

You just ought to consider seeing a doctor, and if not, then you must avoid flying on a commercial flight because you will get ill and they will have to give you oxygen, divert, whatever, and a lot of people won't be very happy about that.

Took my J3 Cub up to 10,000ft a while back, Took quite a while to get there, but the most satisfying bit was calling Ipswich and saying "rejoining from FL100"

Yes, I reported "field in sight" to Cambridge, as requested ... when at FL95 and still half way across East Anglia. I was told to stop being silly and call back when I had five miles to run (or whatever).

Excellent! :D:D:D

When I first got my IR I still had my 152 and did quite a few airways flights in 10-12k feet. (Fully IFR equipped, GNS 430, ADF, DME, Dual Alt etc.).

IO540 is quite right that if someone is feeling noticeable ill effects at 8,000ft they have a problem. Long periods at 10,000ft without out will leave you tired and more difficulty concentrating but are not dangerous. It is only this year the CAA have started to mandate the use of O2 for the PILOT above 10,000ft. I do not put my passengers on O2 until 14,000ft.

My average sats at 10k without O2 are high 80's on O2 high 90's.

My Cessna has an 18,000ft ceiling and I have often had to get up there to avoid weather in France. 200fpm climb rate up there!

arggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh . Neither of you are correct nr do I think either of you are AME's in fact have either of you passed HPL ? I regulalrly fly commericially and never get ill . Every pilot who has studied HPL knows exactly what I put in my last thread which I am not going to repeat.As an Ex RAF tyep I have been in a baro chamber on a number of occasions and know all the effects of o2 deprivation etc etc However I think based on the info given here by the two experts I will go back to gatwick and hand in my class one and tell them they dont know what their talking about.

You must have slipped 'em a few sheckles, eh?

I managed to get a Robin HR120/200B to FL125 in only 20 minutes a couple of weeks ago, I was well chuffed.

I could of stayed up there forever, at FL125 on your own makes you feel, well, it cant be described in words, but its the best anti-depressant in the world!!!

Lookin at som of da spelingg in dis thredd lotsa peeple r typyng it at 15ooo feeets wizz a veri emppty oksygen botle.

Now theres a valid argument winning point if ever there was one

Maxdrypower, he is DEFINITELY big enough (and ugly enough!!!) to stick up for himself, but when it comes to oxygen, hypoxia and suchlike, Bose-X is something of an expert.

So I assume is the CAA AME at Gatwick . I am sure he is an expert ,but when I say what I have said and it is downtrodden as if I am some sort of liar then that is not appreciated. In the PPL and atpl syllabus it clearly states that the effects of hypoxia can begin at 8000 ft . Mine began between 8500 and 9000 , consistent with the gen given by the syllabus and that given in the baro chamber in the RAF. I recently passed a class one so my health is deemed to be good . I have also recently had so many tests you wouldnt believe due to a suspected kidney issue . I am as healthy as can be , gym 4 times a week and rugby on a saturday . I just happen to show symptoms of hypoxia early . If based on the above info anyone wants to tell me what I am suffering from then by all means do so , But half the doctors in gatwick / cheshire manchester think Im A1 so surely that should be enough for people not to deride my comments when I am detailing an experience I have had . Experts they may be bit in this case I am afraid they are very wrong . Based on my personal experiences

Leave him alone everyone is different and just because someone starts getting symptoms earlier than others doesnt mean he is unwell it could boil down to the fact he has smaller lungs therefore dont take as much oxygen on each breathe. Anyway noone on here was with him so unless you were there Shut the fcuk up cause your just biaching for no reason.
David

Thank you David , this may also explain why I can only run for five mins during the game on saturday , possibly , maybe , or it mught just be im and unfit git