REFLECTOR: Flying High

[Al Gietzen]

    Each person's reaction to oxygen depravation "can" be different. 

 

And different under different conditions.  I think Jorge mentioned the
effect of stress.  When living on the far north coast of CA (yep, sea
level), I would routinely fly at 9,500 or 10,500 ft over the mountains of
northern CA and southern OR; never experiencing any symptoms of lack of O2,
or even considering it.  On one occasion at 10,500 I found myself in smoke
from major forest fires.  I was flying VFR, and not able pick up a VOR.  No
visible terrain.  I was stressed.  I was getting a headache.  I proceeded by
dead reckoning to Klamath Falls, not sure if I was going to find it, and it
was a place I had never previously landed (continued stress).  Came out of
the smoke, found myself close to KLMT, descended to pattern altitude (still
over 5000 ft) and made a very poor landing (mis-judged how far the wheels
were off the runway as the stall horn started sounding, and the left wing
dropped).  Fortunately didn't bend anything, but felt weak and shaky as I
stepped from the airplane, and wondered what was going on.

 

Realized later that it was more than just relative inexperience, but likely
was some degree of hypoxia.  And I was younger then.  I'm planning an O2
system in my Velocity.

 

Al

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