Potty solutions for cross country

D

delta13

Filing Flight Plan
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Delta13
My wife and I take longer flights (for 3 - 4.5 hours) and prefer the efficiency of stretching to get to our destination rather than taking extra bladder stops.

However…my wife’s bladder has a lower capacity than mine. Any tips from female pilots or passengers for getting “relief” in a tight cockpit? She is interested in a solution, but is not a fan of trying to get into a position for a pee “relief” bag or risking leaks.
 
She could try the catheter method>. But not recommended.
 
My expectation is that most of the options are less desirable than just planning a stop somewhere along the way, especially for a female. We're usually fine to 3hrs and I've done 4hr+ legs but generally everyone is happier breaking up a long trip in my experience.
 
My default answer would be to just stop more often, for the sake of a happy marriage.

But if she is insistent on flying longer, then the best solution is really just "tactical dehydration". Just don't drink anything in the hours up until the flight. Certainly no coffee or caffeine. An hour before arrival, start chugging so you will hopefully be rehydrated around landing time.

I can't see my wife using a "Lady J adapter" or adult diapers or any other similar solution, in any conceivable scenario.

Another obvious option is to buy a faster airplane so that the flights are shorter.
The best option, of course, is to buy an aircraft with a potty. That's going to require minimum of a King Air-size airplane though, which may or may not be in your budget.
 
Female technical divers, the ones doing very long decompression dives or cave penetrations, will sometimes wear adult diapers, but the other common option is a She-P. It gets plumbed to a line that vents out through a valve in the drysuit. I see they now have an option for paragliding pilots, but it looks to be about the same thing.

The She-P involves shaving. And glue. So I'd imagine it's not for everyone.

https://www.she-p.com
 
Tactical dehydration, skip that pre-flight coffee.
And just plan to stop if needed. Not a big deal if the flight takes an extra 10 minutes.
 
GaryM said:
Female technical divers, the ones doing very long decompression dives or cave penetrations, will sometimes wear adult diapers, but the other common option is a She-P. It gets plumbed to a line that vents out through a valve in the drysuit. I see they now have an option for paragliding pilots, but it looks to be about the same thing.

The She-P involves shaving. And glue. So I'd imagine it's not for everyone.

https://www.she-p.com
Click to expand...
It never occurred to me that a diver wouldn't just let fly. today i learned.
 
GaryM said:
Female technical divers, the ones doing very long decompression dives or cave penetrations, will sometimes wear adult diapers, but the other common option is a She-P. It gets plumbed to a line that vents out through a valve in the drysuit. I see they now have an option for paragliding pilots, but it looks to be about the same thing.

The She-P involves shaving. And glue. So I'd imagine it's not for everyone.

https://www.she-p.com
Click to expand...
Thanks, but she says glue is a deal breaker. :oops:
 
I carry, and have used, a Travel John. There are unisex designs available. It is still awkward, in my experience, but very workable.
 
I'm told the diapers are popular with glider pilots. Just try it on the ground first and make sure you know (she knows) whether it'll allow her to go twice.

Tactical dehydration isn't the best idea, but when the best alternative is wearing an adult diaper, tactical dehydration might be the best idea. Or reconsider the lengths of your legs.
 
My wife prefers the tactical dehydration. Leave early, forgo coffee, etc till hour before landing, sips of water okay, as are snacks. The wife decides, you want to keep her happy.
 
RussR said:
Another obvious option is to buy a faster airplane so that the flights are shorter.
The best option, of course, is to buy an aircraft with a potty. That's going to require minimum of a King Air-size airplane though, which may or may not be in your budget.
Click to expand...
Ironically, the planes with a potty are usually also faster than those without. So it’s win-win. But, even with some planes of King Air size being less than King Air expense, I can’t think of a plane with an available potty that costs less to buy or, probably, operate than a Cessna 414.

I did consider a camp toilet like the one linked below for the 310. But I ended up just planning passenger comfort diversions along most of our longer trips instead. If anyone attempts to use one of these in flight, please post a PIREP.

 
I might also add, I’ve always carried a hospital bed pan in case of an emergency. It is not always possible to land(weather/ifr) and sometimes a urinal or barff bag will not be the only orifice that can act up, especially when traveling. My uncle had this experience and he had no option but to SIHP and deal with it later.
 
Thanks for all the ideas!

Clearly, shorter trips or tactical dehydration are options. However, she is wanting a solution for a longer trips. She has a medical condition that results in frequent urination, so even 1.5 hour flight or waiting 30 minutes to land is risky.

So the options…

Catheter or she-p: she ruled out

Pee bags or travel John: possible but hard to get in position and has had leaks during the operation (no fun to clean up)

Diapers: Seems like a practical solution if you are willing to swallow your pride. But she is concerned about comfort and potential leaks (capacity?) . Anyone have experience to share?

Faster or larger plane: not in the budget right now!
 
delta13 said:
Seems complicated... any personal experience? Seriously, looking for real-world recommendations, and we are wondering if people actually use this.
Click to expand...
My current plane has a relief tube which is designed for males. The non-portable version of this companies device is widely used in hospitals for females when a catheter is not indicated or desired. They seem to work adequately well.
 
They do make a bed-pan like urinal with a female adapter

www.aircraftspruce.com

Little John Portable Urinal | Aircraft Spruce ®

Little John Portable Urinal Positively the least expensive accessory you can buy to ex- tend your range. One case reports a Piper Malibus range extended by 500 miles. Durable plastic, wont crack under any normal handling ...
www.aircraftspruce.com www.aircraftspruce.com

www.aircraftspruce.com

Lady J Adapter | Aircraft Spruce ®

Lady J Adapter The anatomically designed funnel snaps in and out of the little John. It can be used sitting or even standing.
www.aircraftspruce.com www.aircraftspruce.com
 
AV8R_87 said:
Not a big deal if the flight takes an extra 10 minutes.
Click to expand...
I've never been on a cross-country flight where a stop would take only 10 minutes. Deviate to airport, descent, pattern, landing, taxi, taking care of business, restart, taxi, takeoff, climb back to altitude: Even at a podunk airport with no traffic, that's nearly always a ~30 minute hit to the timeline. If you're marginal on fuel and decide to add a few gallons, add another 10-20 minutes. That's not nuthin'. And OP says this might need to happen every 1.5 hrs...
 
RussR said:
Another obvious option is to buy a faster airplane so that the flights are shorter.
Click to expand...
Or a slower plane that gives you more landing options. I once landed my T-Craft in a farm field when my wife really really really had to pee... :oops:
 
I don’t have an XC bladder either. I’ve done way more car XCs than airplane XCs, though. My strategy has been to look at options along the route and plan legs that are bio-need friendly. If I don’t have to stop, at least I still know how long it’s going to take to get to the next one. Sometimes stopping preemptively is a lot more comfortable than I expect. Once I get that “gotta pee!” feeling it tends to take over, fast. The best part is when you finally get stopped, get chocked or tied down, and someone walks over to talk while you’re doing the dance.
 
If she’s worried about diaper leakage, have her do a test run or two at home while standing in the tub or shower. Makes clean-up easier if there’s a leak.

Alternatively, you could acquire a second wife, one with better bladder capacity, for long XCs and leave your original wife at home. Or just have a wife waiting at each of your usual destinations. I understand this method is quite popular with airline pilots.
 
An experienced pilot told me that he carried a pack of ordinary large baby diapers. The silica in them can absorb amazing amounts of liquid. If a female pax had to pee, she just held the diaper against herself and went, and the diaper soaked it all up with no mess. Fold it up and tape it, all done. No need to wear it.
 
bonefishpete said:
Who hasn’t peed in their wetsuit?
The heat is fleeting though.
Click to expand...
Pick up some speed, break the neck seal and then let it flow.
You want to make sure you don't get a flow reversal.

Jim_R said:
I've never been on a cross-country flight where a stop would take only 10 minutes.
Click to expand...
I've timed one (including buying some gas) at 15 minutes. Diversion airport was pretty much on the flight path, and I have been accused of taxiing too fast (but still below Vr).
 
bonefishpete said:
Who hasn’t peed in their wetsuit?
The heat is fleeting though.
Click to expand...
The post you quoted referred to a drysuit. I have zero experience in either, but my understanding is that wetsuits and drysuits have different urine retention characteristics.
 
AV8R_87 said:
I've timed one (including buying some gas) at 15 minutes. Diversion airport was pretty much on the flight path, and I have been accused of taxiing too fast (but still below Vr).
Click to expand...
Maybe 15 min on the ground. But the real time cost is "how long did it take to get from A to B with a stop in between" vs "how long would it have taken with no stop". The time a stop takes is longer than just the time the tires are in contact with the ground. And normal folks aren't going to treat it like an Indy pit stop, so there's also a difference between "the minimum physically possible" and "what normal people experience".
 
Jim_R said:
Maybe 15 min on the ground. But the real time cost is "how long did it take to get from A to B with a stop in between" vs "how long would it have taken with no stop". The time a stop takes is longer than just the time the tires are in contact with the ground. And normal folks aren't going to treat it like an Indy pit stop, so there's also a difference between "the minimum physically possible" and "what normal people experience".
Click to expand...
It also depends on your cruising altitude. I almost never cruise below 8,000, which is at least 6,000 AGL where I do most of my flying. I just napkin-mathed my cruise climb and approach speeds against my cruise speed and I probably lose 5 minutes by slowing down to descend and climb for a pit stop. It also took about 5 minutes to taxi to the far end of the runway. Some people do a complete run-up before every single takeoff, which adds a minute or two.

These aren't big numbers, but it all adds up. At a pilot-controlled airport with self-serve fuel, I think it's fair to plan 15 minutes of overhead on top of the actual time your engine is stopped. At a bigger airport or if you need to buy fuel at the FBO desk, 30 minutes is more reasonable.
 
Have your wife chat with her gp/obgyn about practical options.
 
i spoke with a long time c210 driver about that issue. he said he bought one of those large plastic folgers coffee containers. the ones with the screw on tops that are so large some cannot get their entire hand across it to unscrew it, unlike the average mustard jar for example. he put kitty litter, or wood shavings/dust in the bottom of it to absorb and keep odors contained. passenger would just move to the rear seat, urinate, put the lid back on and get back in the front seat. not elegant, but large opening, contained, reasonably private solution for the price of a big jar of coffee.

https://www.uline.com/Product/Detai...MIsY6Rv56MlgMVWivUAR3OewNwEAQYAyABEgKldfD_BwE
 
What type of plane ? Can you remove a rear seat and convert it into some type of restroom setup like a camping potty or diy lav setup with blue water etc?
 
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flyingtexas said:
passenger would just move to the rear seat, urinate, put the lid back on and get back in the front seat. not elegant, but large opening, contained, reasonably private solution for the price of a big jar of coffee.

https://www.uline.com/Product/Detai...MIsY6Rv56MlgMVWivUAR3OewNwEAQYAyABEgKldfD_BwE
Click to expand...
How many of our little bug smashes are conducive to getting in and out of the back seat in-flight? I don't think that would be easy or safe in my Bonanza, even for someone much small than me.

Otherwise, the coffee can looks easier for a female to use than a Gatorade bottle.
 
JOhnH said:
How many of our little bug smashes are conducive to getting in and out of the back seat in-flight? I don't think that would be easy or safe in my Bonanza, even for someone much small than me.

Otherwise, the coffee can looks easier for a female to use than a Gatorade bottle.
Click to expand...
i agree with you that moving around would take some orchestration on how to do that without impacting flight. but op was looking for solutions so i thought i would throw that one out there. i guess another way to do it to prevent moving from front to back might be fashion a privacy screen with some opaque plastic or lightweight cloth and use suction cups or something similar to attach it to the top of the plane's interior ceiling. move the passenger seat all the way to the rear. do your thing, then pull down the curtain and return the seat forward.
 
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