Mask usage on O2

TangoWhiskey

TangoWhiskey

Touchdown! Greaser!
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I know the standard advice is to always utilize a mask (vs a cannula) up high. FL180 is often used as an altitude above which you should be on a mask... Obviously monitoring one's own and passenger's SpO2 levels and adjusting as needed would be appropriate... Some may need a mask lower!

My question is about the TYPE of mask. My O2 kit came with the standard clear masks of the kind a hospital or EMT might have. Are those sufficient? Or do you need one of those blue masks with two straps and a built in mic?

Final question: if the clear mask is fine, how do you manage your radio calls? Do you just put the headset mic near the mask and sound muffled, or do you lift the mask, reply and then put it back?

Context: TR182 with a FL200 limitation in the POH.
 
I've been using the standard clear masks like you describe for years up in the flight levels with no problems whatsoever. For radio calls, I position the mic just below the mask and then lift the mask slightly to talk.
 
There's what is effective for perfusion and then there's what's efficient as cranking up the flow rates to assure adequate O2 concentrations can result in a lot of O2 being dumped into the ambient air.

The mask you describe is called a NRB (non-rebreathing mask). The mask delivers close to 100% oxygen at whatever the ambient pressure is. That's fine up to about 25,000 feet, above which even 100% oxygen isn't going to give you sufficient pO2 to maintain your saturations.

A regular "oxysaver" canula is good for about 18000' but the problem is that even though it has a little reserve amount to make it more efficient than a regular (medical) canula, you're still pouring a lot of O2 out rather than breathing it.

The pulse-demand regulators and their matching canulas (Mountain High, Nelson) are good to about 25,000' as well.

I don't know of anybody who uses rebreathing masks in aviation use.

Once you hit FL250, you're going to need a mask that seals around your face so that it can feed you O2 at a pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure at those altitudes.
 
I have a Mountain High pulse-demand system, Ron, I forgot to mention that.

I also have the adapters to connect that system to either my portable tank or the aircraft's O2 system.

Will the pulse delivery system provide sufficient saturation with the mask, or would I need to kick the O2D2 unit into one of the higher flow modes? I can go up with another pilot (and I will) to try this, and take measurements for SpO2, but a reference point from a pilot that's done it is a good start.
 
flyingron said:
Once you hit FL250, you're going to need a mask that seals around your face so that it can feed you O2 at a pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure at those altitudes.
Click to expand...

And all of the pressure-demand masks have mics built into them
 
TangoWhiskey said:
Will the pulse delivery system provide sufficient saturation with the mask, or would I need to kick the O2D2 unit into one of the higher flow modes? I can go up with another pilot (and I will) to try this, and take measurements for SpO2, but a reference point from a pilot that's done it is a good start.
Click to expand...
It's supposed to handle it automatically. I carry a little pulse ox sensor with me anyhow just to check.
 
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