Originally Posted by
timfountain
Yes, but you don't go from 8k to 14k in a couple of seconds. Also people who climb up peaks like that are likely a bit fitter then your average passenger. Thirdly there is an FAR on O2. Simply stated -As a pilot you have to use supplemental oxygen if you fly more than 30 minutes at cabin pressure altitudes of 12,500 feet or higher. And that at cabin altitudes above 14,000 feet pilots must use oxygen at all times. And that above 15,000 feet each occupant of the aircraft must be provided supplemental oxygen. All of this is spelled out in Federal Aviation Regulations Part 91.211.
There's a JustPlanes cockpit ridealong in a Challenge 757 which came out in the late 1990s in which the first segment is MIA-LPB. Prior to arrival (and again just after takeoff to UIO), the pilots don oxygen masks and set the cabin pressure altitude to 13,000 feet. I knew the reasons to go on oxygen given that scenario, but never fully understood why they were setting the cabin altitude to that point (assuming some sort of procedure to adjust to the high altitude?) .