Bathroom Breaks

steamee

steamee

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Steamee
Argh: I meant to post this on "flight following". Maybe a moderator can move this for me!

So far I've not flown a long enough cross country where I couldn't wait to do my thing when I landed. I was wondering how people generally manage this? There are also passengers to consider.


A lot of the little airfields I've landed on for practice seem to barely have tie downs much less facilities although I admit to not having investigated. When someone has to go they have to go so what's the wisdom of the experienced on this?
 
Empty Gatorade bottles. Preferably ones with the wide opening.
 
rpadula said:
Empty Gatorade bottles. Preferably ones with the wide opening.
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And purchase any flavor other than lemon/lime. And you don't want to how that got figured out.

Often bathroom stops are considered during long trip planning as much as the fuel stops.
 
Rule #1. You gotta be smarter than what you're working with.

Rule #2. See rule #1.
 
Why do that to yourself at all? Flying for fun, not going for the Bladder of Steel mission award.

The penalty is that you have to land more and see more airports and meet more nice people. Scary!! LOL.
 
Don't drink too much beforehand, especially stuff with caffeine. I know that people are going to chime in and say that is unhealthy but it's worked for me. At least now I have a lav option if I miscalculate.
 
Some of our guys that fly in developing countries carry disposable diapers. Modern disposables have silica gel in them, and this stuff absorbs enormous amounts of liquid without spilling a drop. They work for men or women, too.

Dan
 
Many ways to deal with it especially solo. Gatorade bottles are good to pee in. Flight cases lined with a trashbag are good for taking a dump. Autopilot helps, but not necessary. As far as landing place, I've done the "biological emergency dive" a few times. You should always carry toilet paper in the plane in case you have to "run for the weeds".
 
Henning said:
Many ways to deal with it especially solo. Gatorade bottles are good to pee in. Flight cases lined with a trashbag are good for taking a dump. Autopilot helps, but not necessary. As far as landing place, I've done the "biological emergency dive" a few times. You should always carry toilet paper in the plane in case you have to "run for the weeds".
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Please remember to remove any other contents first. :D

Charts (especially Jepps) could double as TP as needed. This is NOT posted from experience.


Mike
 
Our longest leg -- with kids -- was 5.5 hours. We were coming back from the Grand Canyon (and included an hour over the canyon itself), and there just weren't a lot of options for landing out thataway. (I think we were heading to Carlsbad, NM).

We limited fluid intake, and flew high enough to keep things dry. For thirst, we kept some of that good-flavored, Binaca-type "fake saliva" spray on board. A shot in the mouth was just enough to satisfy thirst, without the inevitable out-flow problems.

That said, it's way better to just plan to land every 2.5 hours. For our flight to OSH this year, we will do 3 hour legs, and that's about all I care to do nowadays.
 
If passenger privacy is an issue, then the only option is to land. I have yet to see the single-engine piston with a lavatory.

Otherwise, these things are pretty convenient. I've used 'em when flying solo, and it's truly a "no muss-no fuss" solution. A little pricier than the "gatorade" option, but for the occasional emergency, it's a lot more cost effective than landing for a pit stop.
 
Jay Honeck said:
Our longest leg -- with kids -- was 5.5 hours. We were coming back from the Grand Canyon (and included an hour over the canyon itself), and there just weren't a lot of options for landing out thataway. (I think we were heading to Carlsbad, NM).

We limited fluid intake, and flew high enough to keep things dry. For thirst, we kept some of that good-flavored, Binaca-type "fake saliva" spray on board. A shot in the mouth was just enough to satisfy thirst, without the inevitable out-flow problems.

That said, it's way better to just plan to land every 2.5 hours. For our flight to OSH this year, we will do 3 hour legs, and that's about all I care to do nowadays.
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If you are going to fly up around 10k', you don't really need to take that drastic of measure. You dehydrate much more readily at altitude than sea level. It's better to drink and maybe need to pee in a bottle than to get dehydrated. Dehydration does bad things to ones attention and alertness.
 
Longest XC leg non-stop was Phoenix to Terre Haute Indiana (10 hours)

Not much drinking beforehand, and small sips once aloft.

Best plan is not to exceed 3 hours on any single leg unless you're solo and can take care of business aloft. The various absorbent pee bags work well.
 
This seems to be the never ending topic over on glider discussion groups - relief tubes seem to be common. However, if you are in an aircraft with self launch capability, you have the advantage of being able to land to take a break.

Random containers tend to work OK for guys. Even just a bottled water bottle with a small opening can be made to work with a little care (BTDT).

My understanding is that it is more of an issue for female gendered persons.
 
This has been an informative discussion on something no one ever mentioned to me in training! What's the etiquitte on stopping at airfields for bio breaks? Is it like restaurants where it's bad form to not buy anything? I suppose the tie down fee would technically be a purchase. It also seems kind of wrong to be going to the bathroom in a rental, but now I've got visions of other people doing that in the plane I'm flying. :yikes:
 
steamee said:
This has been an informative discussion on something no one ever mentioned to me in training! What's the etiquitte on stopping at airfields for bio breaks? Is it like restaurants where it's bad form to not buy anything? I suppose the tie down fee would technically be a purchase. It also seems kind of wrong to be going to the bathroom in a rental, but now I've got visions of other people doing that in the plane I'm flying. :yikes:
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The chances that someone took a pee in the plane you are renting is very high. Taking a dump, not so much, that's normally relegated to utility/freight pilots.

I have never been charged for landing and using the bathroom, but normally if I'm in a situation where I landed to go to the bathroom, I'm typically on a longer trip so I'll pick up some fuel as well.
 
Coffee can with kitty litter in it.
 
steamee said:
This has been an informative discussion on something no one ever mentioned to me in training! What's the etiquitte on stopping at airfields for bio breaks? Is it like restaurants where it's bad form to not buy anything? I suppose the tie down fee would technically be a purchase.
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It depends (no pun intended) on where you land. Most of the places I plan for stops are mostly abandoned anyway - that's usually where the 'cheap' fuel is since they don't have to pay overhead of having someone sit there all day to spill fuel on your wing for you. In those cases, if the office/bathroom facilities are locked, it's just a matter of finding a shed or tree to 'do your bidness'. Depending on your passengers, you may need to find somewhere that is staffed with more 'modern' facilities to use and expect to buy a splash of fuel for the service.
 
CJones said:
It depends (no pun intended) on where you land. Most of the places I plan for stops are mostly abandoned anyway - that's usually where the 'cheap' fuel is since they don't have to pay overhead of having someone sit there all day to spill fuel on your wing for you. In those cases, if the office/bathroom facilities are locked, it's just a matter of finding a shed or tree to 'do your bidness'. Depending on your passengers, you may need to find somewhere that is staffed with more 'modern' facilities to use and expect to buy a splash of fuel for the service.
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This is off-topic, but I have to wonder at the quality of fuel in "abandoned" or little-used airports.
 
Dan Thomas said:
Some of our guys that fly in developing countries carry disposable diapers. Modern disposables have silica gel in them, and this stuff absorbs enormous amounts of liquid without spilling a drop. They work for men or women, too.

Dan
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And astronauts
 
steamee said:
This has been an informative discussion on something no one ever mentioned to me in training! What's the etiquitte on stopping at airfields for bio breaks? Is it like restaurants where it's bad form to not buy anything? I suppose the tie down fee would technically be a purchase. It also seems kind of wrong to be going to the bathroom in a rental, but now I've got visions of other people doing that in the plane I'm flying. :yikes:
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Although some FBOs may sneer, the fact is even if you don't buy fuel at a particular airport, wherever you do buy fuel puts money into airport funding that all public airports take advantage of. So I wouldn't be to concerned about getting a guilt complex for not leaving money on every stop.
 
paflyer said:
This is off-topic, but I have to wonder at the quality of fuel in "abandoned" or little-used airports.
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The fuel vendor will be on the hook if there is a problem so most have some sort of periodic quality check.
 
One thing about making a biological crash stop, especially for your passengers, always swing the plane around so the tail faces the FBO. You always want the line of travel to be the opposite direction of the prop. You can't believe how fast an unathletic person who needs to pee can be out that door and running, and that prop is invisible. It wouldn't be a first time experience. It happens every year or two, sometimes more...

If you have a DA 20, you need to be very careful...
 
Henning said:
One thing about making a biological crash stop, especially for your passengers, always swing the plane around so the tail faces the FBO. You always want the line of travel to be the opposite direction of the prop. You can't believe how fast an unathletic person who needs to pee can be out that door and running, and that prop is invisible. It wouldn't be a first time experience. It happens every year or two, sometimes more...

If you have a DA 20, you need to be very careful...
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Or pull the mixture before you quit rolling - which I often do when I don't have someone directing me.
 
Henning said:
The chances that someone took a pee in the plane you are renting is very high. Taking a dump, not so much, that's normally relegated to utility/freight pilots.
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Well I guess this solves that...the next time I get in the rental I'll be sitting in a garbage bag I bring along. :D

Geez, the next time my non-aviating friends think flying is all romance and adventure I'll have them read this post. No wait... we want people in GA...
 
gprellwitz said:
Um, see any problem with this in a GA cockpit? Not sure why they say :dunno:
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Well, it is VERY small (haven't opened the sealed box it comes in). Smaller than a cell phone. Just thought it would be good to have with me. If you are asking how I would stand up, I don't think that I would need to (scoot seat back all the way when plane is flying itself / trimmed well and then - well - you get the idea).

Think of it more as a way to aim.

Argh, nevermind - hard to explain if you are not a girl - ! Though, I have never tried it and it might be horrible.


Kimberly
 
I think I will just keep planning to stop every couple of hours or so. I usually need to get out by then and stretch my legs anyway.
 
somorris said:
I think I will just keep planning to stop every couple of hours or so. I usually need to get out by then and stretch my legs anyway.
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Right, me too - I only got that device for EMERGENCIES. Hope I never have to use it.

Kimberly
 
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