Choosing Your Oxygen System
This can be a daunting task at first, I admit. I just installed a system in a Duo for a student of mine. Yes a student pilot with a new Duo, I love my job.
Start by figuring out what size bottles fits in the sailplane.
The next consideration is consumption. If you are out west and using oxygen for most of the flight the largest bottle might be important. Please click the links to view the consumption charts for Aerox and Mountain High.
Some sites require you to remove your bottle, this may or may not be an easy task. Other sites have a remote fill, this is very nice on Schempp-Hirth gliders where it takes a gymnast to contort behind the spar to remove the bottle.
I see many pilots with a second bottle they can leave to be filled while flying.
Carbon bottles are amazingly light, this weight savings can easily offset the calories from the 6 pack you drank the night before. But they do have a 15 year useful life.
The more efficient EDS unit might be better suited for your location and circumstances.
EDS (Electronic Delivery System) vs Continuous Flow
EDS:
- Less user input during flight
- Most efficient
- Fancier system
- Turn on and allow to operate (I don't want to say 'turn on and forget', that would be a bad practice, as you should always monitor your O2 saturation)
Continuous Flow
- Least expensive
- Requires adjustment during flight
- No batteries
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