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Aircraft Analysis

Oxygen Options

Not so long ago, when using oxygen in the cockpit graduated from the nice-idea to the must-have phase, the equipment took a quantum leap forward. In case you havent looked recently, state-of-the-art oxygen gear is better than ever, so good in fact that it may be time to toss that converted medical junk and upgrade. But what to buy? If your portable system dates back to the days when Loran was the hot choice for navigation, theres no need to spring for a complete new system to benefit from the latest stuff-a cylinder is a cylinder. Instead, upgrading some basic components will make using oxygen easier and cheaper. Sister publication Aviation Consumer recently took a close look at some of the latest products from the top oxygen suppliers in general aviation. What they found was more choices in regulators, flowmeters, cannulas, masks, conservers and monitoring devices, all at competitive prices. In fact, the industry has almost reinvented itself over the last 10 or so years, due in part to advances in the medical market. Just as improvements in consumer electronics have resulted in better, more-capable avionics, those medical advances mean higher-quality and easier-to-use oxygen systems are more accessible than ever.

Unicom

Oxygen Oddities

I just finished reading my May issue and I had two questions.

In Burn, Baby, Burn it says the average daily consumption rate of automotive gas in 1999 was around 360 million gallons. Is that in the U.S. alone, or worldwide? Its a statistic Id like to quote to (non-aviation) friends, but I want to get it right.

In Roll your own O2 System on page 5, when you mount the O2 tank in the baggage compartment, doesnt that require an STC or form 337, at least? I have seen the FAA declare an aircraft unairworthy because it had a non-STCd panel mount for a portable GPS, and this seems like a bigger modification to me. It affects the aircraft weight and balance and empty weight, at the ve…