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IFR Alps crossing without Oxygen

I’m looking for a way to cross the Alps IFR without Oxygen. I can’t seem to find a routing that Eurocontrol will accept as valid.

Does anyone have any tips? Is it even possible?

Last Edited by Marsen at 07 Mar 10:13

Nope. In the Eastern parts of Austria, and Slovenia, it can be done at 10000-11000 feet. Anything further west requires FL140-160.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

It’s eastern Austria only, as @boscomantico pointed out. IFR over the alps is only possible in oxygen levels. What you could do is cancel IFR if weather permits. However, you should know where and how to cross the alps VFR, because you still might need to climb above FL100 to cross the Main Ridge. It is of course possible VFR lower altitude but requires proper flight preparation.

Germany

IFR-VFR-IFR in Alps without O2 is doable as long as you know how to fly VFR in the western side (it’s not for everyone)

Last Edited by Ibra at 07 Mar 12:02
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

Humans are affected by reduced O2 in different ways. I once flew with an FI who could not read the avionics at FL120… So you need to be very sure before doing this. For sure you will arrive very tired.

I have many Alps crossings here and the 2004/2005 ones were done VFR. Dodgy unpublished ATC policies were the main issue (I had O2) e.g. Swiss would not allow VFR above FL129 (no VFR in their Class C) so the wx had to be 100% CAVOK. The biggest fun in the Alps, VFR, is likely to be Swiss ATC, who like to “surprise” you



Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Just on the off chance you are unaware that there is a solution for planes without built in oxygen and without hauling around oxygen tanks, a relatively affordable and practical solution is to get an oxygen concentrator (Inogen). A search on the forms will provide more information. I am very happy with mine!

Norway

Peter wrote:

biggest fun in the Alps, VFR, is likely to be Swiss ATC

Had plenty of fun today… N-S followed by the famous €500 pizza, then S-N. Max altitude was 12Kft… all strongly missing any kind of fun ATC would provide, but for the tower

Pic of the day barely Northeast of Aosta…

Dan
ain't the Destination, but the Journey
LSZF, Switzerland

This is like the discussion of flying in [insert your favourite country name] where you know how to game the system. Whereas if you turn up as a “total foreigner”…

The ATC soundtrack on my videos is sometimes amusing

Also, where the above pic was taken, nobody knows you are there because of terrain all around. That looks like about 10k feet there. Swiss cannot see you there below about 13k, IME. It’s one of the well kept secrets about mountains: within mountains, nobody can see you

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

An Oxygen kit is one of the simplest, and cheapest, way to expand your IFR flying.
Not just for flying over the Alps: For flying FL100+, it is a great asset.
Not only do you arrive refreshed; but it means you can readily climb, if need be, to fly over the IMC tops.
It was one of the easiest, cheapest, investments I have made in IFR flying.

Last Edited by Peter_G at 07 Mar 20:35
Rochester, UK, United Kingdom

sedatedokc wrote:

Just on the off chance you are unaware that there is a solution for planes without built in oxygen and without hauling around oxygen tanks, a relatively affordable and practical solution is to get an oxygen concentrator (Inogen). A search on the forms will provide more information. I am very happy with mine!

I agree – I have the Inogen One G5 and it works well. No bottles to fill.

Fly more.
LSGY, Switzerland
32 Posts
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