I Learned About Flying From That: 18,300 Feet in a Cessna 150

Ken Fransen

Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 01:50 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

A young pilot, unaware of the dangers, ascended a Cessna 150 to an unplanned 18,300 feet, unknowingly experiencing severe hypoxia which impaired his judgment and physical abilities.
Hypoxia insidiously affected the pilot's perception and decision-making, leading to euphoria, difficulty writing, and flawed attempts to descend, underscoring its subtle and dangerous nature.
The incident highlights the critical importance of supplemental oxygen at high altitudes and reinforces the validity of current FAA rules requiring it above specific flight levels.
A photograph taken during the flight later revealed the pilot's blue thumb, serving as physical evidence of the hypoxia experienced.

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The cloud were building beautifully over the California coast range. I was back from college for the weekend and itching to fly, so I grabbed my camera and hopped into one of the Fresno Sky Riders Club Cessna 150s. It was a 1963 model with the standard Continental O-200 engine, producing 100 galloping horsepower — no modifications, full fuel, calm day over the San Joaquin Valley with no updrafts. The fun weather was 60 miles to the west over the mountains. I was a skinny college kid, and 62Z took off smartly.

At the time, another young club member and I had a running competition (though not terribly serious) over who could take a 150 higher. The record was mine at that time — about 12,000 feet — because my friend was a little girthier than I. But an altitude record was not on my mind this beautiful fall 1971 day. I figured the cumulus would top out at about 8,000 or 10,000 feet, and my photo flight would be over.