chrisch
Contributor
There can never be agreement because individual human beings will have different risk tolerance. The guidlines are published by respected bodies to give a reasonable balance between risk and the needs of divers that wish to use aviation as a form of transport.
The overlooked aspect is the type of aviation which is just called "flying". Quite apart from the risk of the airplane crashing there is the additional risk of depressurisation of the passenger area - a very small risk of course. Commercial aircraft will fly at a lower altitude if this occurs and so the reduced ambient pressure is temporary.
No advice or guidline can take into account this variable. Nor the overall flight length (in time) during which any DCI cannot be treated.
The term "no fly" is therefore a rather imprecise one. The nitrogen load in slow tissue (itself only an hypothesis) could in theory cause DCI due to the lower ambient pressure of an aircraft or a land vehicle that climbs to altitude. Decompression models hypothesize that the nitrogen is excreted at a given rate and so after a period of time the tissue saturation is ambient.
The more you study the theory the more obvious it is that there are some assumptions that are at best questionable. Generally it is agreed to be cautious to minimise the risk. No one will be able to give a definative answer as there is no such answer.
The variables are too diverse for any meaningful number to be given. So it is a hunch, a guess. My guess is - you will be fine.
The overlooked aspect is the type of aviation which is just called "flying". Quite apart from the risk of the airplane crashing there is the additional risk of depressurisation of the passenger area - a very small risk of course. Commercial aircraft will fly at a lower altitude if this occurs and so the reduced ambient pressure is temporary.
No advice or guidline can take into account this variable. Nor the overall flight length (in time) during which any DCI cannot be treated.
The term "no fly" is therefore a rather imprecise one. The nitrogen load in slow tissue (itself only an hypothesis) could in theory cause DCI due to the lower ambient pressure of an aircraft or a land vehicle that climbs to altitude. Decompression models hypothesize that the nitrogen is excreted at a given rate and so after a period of time the tissue saturation is ambient.
The more you study the theory the more obvious it is that there are some assumptions that are at best questionable. Generally it is agreed to be cautious to minimise the risk. No one will be able to give a definative answer as there is no such answer.
The variables are too diverse for any meaningful number to be given. So it is a hunch, a guess. My guess is - you will be fine.
