Where to Find Flight Plan Info- Altitude Level for Flight?
#3
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,484
I don't have a specific answer to your altitude question, but I have been told the following by one of my dive instructors, in case it assists in your planning:
Flying *before* diving is not as harmful as flying after diving. I.e. the recommended time interval between flying then diving is less important than carefully observing it when diving then flying. This is because decompression sickness happens due to air coming out of solution when you go to higher altitude (dive, then fly). Air going into solution as you descend (fly, then dive) isn't so bad.
of course, you should not take this as authoritative, but consult someone expert if this may apply to your situation...
Flying *before* diving is not as harmful as flying after diving. I.e. the recommended time interval between flying then diving is less important than carefully observing it when diving then flying. This is because decompression sickness happens due to air coming out of solution when you go to higher altitude (dive, then fly). Air going into solution as you descend (fly, then dive) isn't so bad.
of course, you should not take this as authoritative, but consult someone expert if this may apply to your situation...
#4
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Programs: United MileagePlus Silver, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 8,798
I would find a forum that has posters on who regularly visit the destination in question, and ask them. That being said, I would say 'better to be safe than sorry' - When I flew back and forth to Caye Caulker in Belize (and watched the altimeter) we generally stayed at 6000 feet, but the last day climbed to 10,000 feet to get around a cloud or something. So I would say assume altitude - I did, and waited 24 hours before flying.
Cheers,
Geoff Glave
Vancouver, Canada
Cheers,
Geoff Glave
Vancouver, Canada
#5
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PMD
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Posts: 2,911
My observations
I flew between Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan quite a few times. On Pacific Island Aviation's (now defunct) Shorts 3-60, there was no compression--they've got open windows in the cockpit, so at 5000 feet, my barometer-altimeter watch said 5000 feet.
On Continental Micronesia's Boeing 737-800 between Guam and Saipan (128 miles, 20 minutes), they'd climb to 15,000 feet, cruise for 5 minutes, and then coast down on "idle" until the flaps are deployed. There was no discernable cabin pressure change, and the funny thing was that my watch measured sea level when both airports are about 250 feet (pressure actually higher during flight).
So I'd say there's no guarantee, as Continental could let the air leak if they wanted to. But what I don't know is how many minutes of lower pressure would cause biological problems.
On Continental Micronesia's Boeing 737-800 between Guam and Saipan (128 miles, 20 minutes), they'd climb to 15,000 feet, cruise for 5 minutes, and then coast down on "idle" until the flaps are deployed. There was no discernable cabin pressure change, and the funny thing was that my watch measured sea level when both airports are about 250 feet (pressure actually higher during flight).
So I'd say there's no guarantee, as Continental could let the air leak if they wanted to. But what I don't know is how many minutes of lower pressure would cause biological problems.
#6
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#8
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 254
Cabin altitudes are usually kept between 6000 and 8000 depending on the aircraft and the actual altitude they are flying- the key is the difference between actual altitude and target cabin altitude. Pressurizing to sea level when flying at say, 39,000' stresses the airframe too much, and burns a lot of fuel.