Ok - this would seem to me be a conflict but I am curious anyway. A friend of mine is thinking about getting his PPL but admitted to me that he suffers from altitude sickness whenever he goes above 5K MSL. He recently asked his doctor about it who Rx'd him Diamox that is supposed to prevent/speed up relief of his symptoms. To me this would seem like a medical problem for someone trying to become a pilot. Any words of advice knowledge I can pass on?
Altitude Sickness
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Here is a Federal Air Surgeon's bulletin that you can give to your friend. https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/avi...signee_types/ame/fasmb/media/highaltitude.pdf
perfect! Thank you.
Kenny Phillips
Final Approach
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Kenny Phillips
So he cannot even fly on some airliners? 8K cabin altitude is not uncommon. Does mere supplemental oxygen help?
Or could he fly enough, with altitude increasing, to actually acclimate?
Or could he fly enough, with altitude increasing, to actually acclimate?
I asked about that and flying doesn’t seem to affect him. It’s only after a few hours of being on the ground in high altitude. I’m thinking it has something to do with hydration and pressure as well.
GaryM
Pattern Altitude
Depending on where he lives and what he wants to get out of flying, it may or may not be a significant limitation.
I live pretty much at sea level, with not much in the way of high terrain anywhere nearby. I don't use the plane for transportation (my company prohibits it, my wife won't get in a light plane), so I buzz around locally and explore within a couple of hours of home...almost always below 3000 AGL, which around here generally means below 4000 MSL.
That kind of flying uses but a small fraction of the capabilities afforded by a PPL, but maybe it's all he needs.
True - but he has airlines in the back of his mind so just wanted to give him a heads up on the process.
455 Bravo Uniform
Final Approach
I know someone who said that he felt the altitude symptoms after a 3,500msl flight of 45 minutes. I told this person who travels on airlines 2x per month with no ill effects “you do realize the atmosphere on an airliner is higher than this”? I wonder if some of it is mental.
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
Like the doctors on Angel Flight that require a pressurized aircraft for the patient.
Ummmmm, we are flying at a lower altitude than those pressurized aircraft cabins are at.
DavidWhite
Final Approach
Sea level cabin isn’t an uncommon thing in medevac. A 10,000’ cabin existed at FL350 in the BE20, and a sea level cabin could be maintained up to about 17,000 iirc.
Perhaps he may be able to locate an Altitude Chamber and have his situ evaluated.
There are MIL and civilian chambers that may have the staff to do this.
An alternative is the mask and system that introduces an increasing amount of
nitrogen to simulate the effects of altitude.
There are MIL and civilian chambers that may have the staff to do this.
An alternative is the mask and system that introduces an increasing amount of
nitrogen to simulate the effects of altitude.