H2O to Flight

[300bar]

From this site.http://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/physiologc.pdf PDF allert.

Restrictions. Participation in an altitude chamber flight will not be
permitted if the applicant:
• does not hold a valid class I, II, or III medical certificate
• has an acute respiratory and/or systemic infection
• has a beard
• has been scuba diving within 24 hours
• has donated one unit (500 ml) of blood within 24 hours or
donated more than one unit of blood within 72 hours of the
scheduled training
• has consumed any alcoholic beverage within eight hours or is
under the influence of alcohol
• is less than 18 years of age

This looks like a FAA view on things.This is just training,so reallife will come close.

 

[mrlipis]

These recommended altitudes are actual flight altitudes above mean sea level (AMSL) and not pressurized cabin altitudes. This takes into consideration the risk of decompression of the aircraft during flight.

While unlikely, damn good rule for someone at the wheel.

 

[EastEndDiver]

How come a professional pilot who has been scuba diving for over ten years didn't know this???

 

[300bar]

How come a professional pilot who has been scuba diving for over ten years didn't know this???

Ahh,next good question.

 

[mintaka]

has a beard ?? I'm sure there is a reason ? Interferes with an O2 mask ?

 

[tstalcup]

What you are looking for is likely at Dive Planning forms, tables & formulas specifically, www.ndc.noaa.gov/pdfs/AscentToAltitudeTable.pdf . Please note that table refers to the NOAA dive groups, not the PADI groups.

I live at ~2500 ft elevation, but am only about 15-30 minutes away from a lot of shore diving so I was concerned about how much SI I need before I can go home after a dive. I asked a very similar question a while back and got the above information.

If you run through the numbers, it is a bit surprising that the required SI actually ends up being less the deeper you go if you stay to the NDL.

For example:
Two different dives to the NDL, one at 50' and one at 110'.

For the 50' dive, you get 100 minutes of bottom time and come up as an L diver. You need slightly over 20 hours before ascending to 8000'.

For the 110' dive, you only get 20 minutes of bottom time and come up as a G diver. You need only 12 hours before ascending to 8000'.

Of course, if you only stayed 20 minutes at 50' you come up as a D diver and only need 3.5 hours...



After all that, I'd feel comfortable as a passenger following those guidelines or perhaps something a bit more conservative. As a pilot I don't think I would push it at all. It is a very important point that if cabin pressure is lost while you're at 30k feet it will not be a pretty sight and it could significantly impair your ability to perform your flight duties - right when you need to be on your 'A' game.

 

[EastEndDiver]

http://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/DCS.pdf

 

[StreetDoctor]

Sorry, I don't have a divetable. This is a recreational dive with a dive master/reputable company in Kona.

What does it being a recreational dive have anything to do with not having a dive table? RDP- recreational dive planner....

 

[Doc Harry]

If you are diving with a computer I would go by that. I wear two computers and neither of them tells me to wait more than twelve and a half hours after a two-dive morning trip doing one deep and one shallow dive.

Generally, the computer "no fly" time is just a timer. Read the instructions of your computer. It will generally state that the "no fly" symbol will be present on the display for 12 or 18 hours after a dive, or some variation on that theme. It's not doing any fancy calculations, it's just a timer.

 

[Web Monkey]

I am an Airline Pilot that would like to do some diving on my 24 hour layovers. What is the time limit for water to wings? The Cabin Altitude is 8500 feet and the duration of the flight is 6 hours. One (maybe two) dive to, probably, no greater than 60 feet.

I googled it and thought I could find the info very easily. All I found was one link at scuba-doc .

As far as the commercial aviation rules go, I don't have a clue.

However on a more useful note, some computers (the SCUBAPro Smart-Com and Galileo Sol) calculate actual time-to-fly, based on your nitrogen loading.

You might also consider taking Nitrox and Advanced Nitrox classes. Selecting an appropriate mix can significantly reduce (or even eliminate) your nitrogen load.

Terry