Yes, I know the new rule is not to fly above FL100 without oxygen, but i never had any problems in FL110 or 120.
I once flew with an instructor who said he never uses oxygen, but he could not read the altimeter at FL120. At that point he accepted that perhaps using the cannula might be a good idea… within seconds of putting it up his nose he was fine. Also I once took a friend of mine to FL125 (the highest I can do close to home, in a little triangle of airspace near the Isle of Wight) and I got him working out integer square roots on the way up (his Masters was a new way to implement RSA on a DSP) and he was fine. Clearly, individuals do vary 
Slightly annoyingly, I used to have a whole spare o2 system which I sold to somebody who soon bought a pressurised Cessna! I could have lent that to somebody. You don’t need much… a cylinder, 1st stage reg, and a oxymiser cannyla.
You can cross in FL100 too, if you avoid the highest summits. But of course many times you will not get “on top” at FL100
Very true, which is why I keep saying that having an IR and flying without oxygen is a bit of a waste of time (but many disagree). I know I would often be in cloud at FL100-110.
Yes, Peter, I know – people are different. I was not giving the “recommendation” to fly above FL100 without O2, I am just saying that for me up to FL130 is no problem, and never was. The highest I crossed the Alps without was FL130 … on top over a solid overcast. We arrived at the Alps south of Munich, and contrary to the forecast it was not “broken” but closed … we decided to do it, but the 30 minutes to the southern side (where it was clear) felt a little bit longer than usual :-) I do not recommend that either, but this one time i decided to do it.
Quite apart from the regulations on flying with O2, one thing to bear in mind is that hypoxia is quite an insidious condition: you don’t recognise that you’re suffering from it. Peter’s comment about the instructor who claimed never to need it is probably a good example of this.
I feel functioning at FL110 but after say a 1 hour flight, oxygen makes the difference between arriving fresh and arriving totally shagged.
And the flow rate at 110 or so is so low that the gas lasts for ages.
Jonzarno, of course, i know.
Peter: I never felt any difference up to FL120. Maybe I am bad in mathematics on the ground too, so it does not matter!
I’m following all this – trying to work out options.
How much is a good, but simple, ‘portable’ o2 system ?
I’ll look at “follow the Danube around the Alps from Bavaria” route. Guess it will add great distance!!
What does ‘the book’ say about going ‘on-top’ in that part of the world WITHOUT an IR.
I have no ice protection.
I have the Brit. IMCR – IMC Rating.
Think EASA now call this an IR R – IR Restricted, but with big limitations. No ILS’s for starters.
Peter, LDLO’s web site says:
Discount up to 25% can be approved for organised arrivals (group of aircrafts).
I think we qualify, will you ask them?
Yes, the route along the Danube, north of Graz and then to LDLO is longer, but nice. From southern Bavaria you can climb ABOVE FL100 VFR, up to FL130 for Alpine crossings.
There is no restriction about flying on-top VFR, but I do not recommend it when it’s overcast. In broken conditions it’s okay because in general you could make a gliding descent into a valley then. (No, I do not think that it’s a cool thing to descend into the clouds and into valley by the help of GPS, that’s really for idiots, and we’re no idiots, right?)
VMC you need no ice protection. What for? The only ice protection you might need (depending on A/C type, is a warm sweater :-))
Yes, the route along the Danube, north of Graz
Just to be pedantic, the Danube doesn’t go anywhere near Graz. What you would be doing is to go east as far as Linz (more or less) and then route south across the lower part of the Alps. There also is a low-level route through the valleys, but if you’re not familiar with it and the area, perhaps not the best idea.
Unfortunately I won’t be able to make it to the fly-in, on these dates I’ll be many time zones away…..
Well, I was not trying to give a geography lesson here, but when you look at the map the routing around the Alps is quite obvious.
