Airlines and Magnetic Waves

agree with Babette. I have been flying from west coast to east coast back and forth and 16 hours vv to Asia - without using CPAP.

I nap probably 10-30 minutes max sitting in that cramp environment, make not much diff.

I cannot imagine myself using my horrible collection of CPAP masks, donning my chinstrap and placing my mouthguard. Then rinsing my nose with Neil-Med, using Ayr Gel on my nosetril etc

The whole plane will be horrified and I might be arrested for terrorism and banned forever by all airways.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP

kennethryan wrote:...Based on the EMC (ElectroMagnetic Compatibilty) testing we do, nothing short of a small thermonuclear device is going to make that equipment hiccup. Certainly not a cell phone, laptop, or blower motor. This applies not to just the newest aircraft (we have equipment on virtually everything flying). ...

Where there is some potential for interference is with the aircraft radios - not just voice but GPS and other navigation signals. In flight, a hiccup gets quickly corrected, certainly before the aircraft heads in the wrong direction. During approach, however, a hiccup could conceivably affect the approach and landing sequence (automated on most recent airliners).

So there is some basis for the takeoff/landing restrictions.

I should also note that takeoff and landing are the points where an accident is more likely. Devices that are out and in use become rather solid projectiles during a hard landing, and cables, wires (and hoses) can interfere with emergency evacuation. (During the cruise portion of the flight, a sudden "hard landing" generally doesn't leave enough of you to evacuate).[/quote]

Ken, great answer. It appears there are reasons where a pap machine can be a problem, either by interfering with takeoff or landing, as projectiles or perhaps hiding a much more sinister reengineered function that cannot easily be spotted by the TSA employees. If I was an airline CEO, it certainly would be easier to have a blanket ban on the machines and remove that worry from the list. Perhaps the planes should be built with pap machines at some of the seats so that all we would need to do is bring our masks. That could work if a series of simple settings, albeit not optimal settings, that could be keyed in at the seat.

I was just told tonight by a Delta agent that you can bring a cpap mahine on the plane but you cannot use it in flight. But this was told to me be a "first nighter" who made all these changes for us only to find out that none of them went through because she did them all wrong.

As Babs said, a six hour flight is usually not a problem, especially if you fly during the day. But the other question here is, can a bad night with lots of Apnea events cause death or is it that is something that only happens over time.

Like I was told by an airline employee who is also a friend. If you're unable NOT to use CPAP during flight, you should NOT be flying.

[quote="Anonymous"]Like I was told by an airline employee who is also a friend. If you're unable NOT to use CPAP during flight, you should NOT be flying.

Those unable to use CPAP for a while should not fly? OK, that may be partially true. It may also be very true.

However, there are probably cases where that is a bit too stringent for a blanket policy. I am thinking of my friend, the Australian immigrant, who has used CPAP for many years. He recently traveled to Australia to see his family.

That was one LONG flight. It would not seem to be wise to avoid sleep, or to have poor quality sleep, during the flight.





Would those whose sleep problems include centrals need CPAP during any (even semi-upright) sleep? I don't know enough about centrals, but I thought that the body wasn't receiving the message(s) to breathe during sleep. If so, that would happen even in a slightly reclined sitting position, would it not?

Ah, well...maybe I am way off base. I know that someone will let me know about that!


Karen

In no particular order, these things come to my mind when I reflect on this issue:

1. I suspect there is no specific airline regulation forbidding the use of xpap machines in-flight. I'm betting ignorant airline employees create the rules on-the-fly for their convenience in handling passengers out of fear of creating a nuisance for the airline. They self-justify this action because they think they're protecting the safety of the majority of passengers by quashing the needs of an individual. (Or they just like wielding power over those more pitiful than themselves.)
2. A six-hour trip without sleep is fine. Big deal. The only time you really need in-flight xpap is when you're flying intercontinentally. A ten-hour flight without sleep is possible, but when you get there, you're going to be tired. Why shouldn't I be allowed to sleep with my xpap?
3. Next time I go half-way across the world, I refuse to go sardine-class. I'll go either business or first class. Last time I flew overseas, the flight crew darned-near enforced sleep by making everyone close windows and shut up while the majority of passengers reclined. It was actually dark in the passenger cabin for about seven hours or more during the flight. My legs were cramped by the end of the flight and my back hurt like hell. Heck, everone was aching.
4. I am five feet, ten inches tall in coach. I was in a seat made for a child. It just barely fit me, and I was not overweight at the time. Reclining was a joke. The upright position of the seat is 90 degrees, and to pretend you're comfortable in that position is ludicrous. My car seats are never set to 90 degrees. And reclining to 81 degrees is a joke. It's not really even reclined. It's about what my car stays at when I'm driving. You're supposed to sleep like that? There was a friend on the flight who was seven feet tall and rail skinny, but big framed. I cannot imagine he was comfortable at all. Seats that small on international flights should be be considered cruelty to passengers and illegal.
5. Being overweight and sitting next to others who are overweight - or just big or even muscular in coach leads to all manner of unwarranted and undesired familiarity. You're forced to be touching fellow passengers, leg to leg and shoulder to shoulder whether you want to or not. In a society where every little nuance of privacy is weighed and measured, it makes me hyper-aware of whether or not I'm being inappropriate, whether or not others might deem my actions inappropriate or whether or not others actions are inappropriate. This isn't like being in traffic where you've been traveling down the road for a couple hours with the same four or five cars in grid-lock on a four-lane, you know?
6. If I understand correctly: You can bring your xpap gear on board without it counting against your two-bag carry-on count. Airlines won't deny your right not to be separated from medical equipment you'll need once you get off the flight. Some or most carriers disallow the use of xpap gear during flight out of sheer ignorance or inability to power the device.
7. International flights should make accomodation for cpap users. I don't want to get to my destination - vacation or otherwise - without sleep for 19 hours. I'm not doing it. I'll be more than happy to stow my gear under the seat during take-off and landing - that's sensible. But ADA is there for a reason. Airlines need to comply with this need. It's not unreasonable, and it's the law. If they expect me to shut up and sleep on the flight, they need to provide me with an outlet and a water for my xpap. I'll put the unit on my lap, on the seat tray or under my seat while I sleep. The darth-vader noise coming from the unit is nothing compared to the noise of the engines anyway.
8. If we cannot bring our own water on the trip, they need to provide a brand that is RO or distilled at least. Aquafina brand is a good example - popular and useable with xpap humidifiers.
9. Just saying you should not be flying if you need CPAP is BS. Sign in if you're going to make that kind of statement or don't make the statement.

I just received an e-mail from Northwest Airlines. They told me that since our Cpaps are considered assistive devices, we can carry them on board without it being counted toward the standard carry-on luggage allowance. If we are traveling with our cpap, we can inform the gate agent to be pre-boarded to ensure there is room for out machines. They also allow you to use your machine on battery power. Up to two spare lithium batteries are allowed as long as they are packaged properly.

birdshell wrote:Would those whose sleep problems include centrals need CPAP during any (even semi-upright) sleep? I don't know enough about centrals, but I thought that the body wasn't receiving the message(s) to breathe during sleep. If so, that would happen even in a slightly reclined sitting position, would it not?

Ah, well...maybe I am way off base. I know that someone will let me know about that!

I'm not sure about centrals caused by posture, but I do know that increasing altitude can cause obstructive apneas to decrease and centrals to increase, so that could be a factor when flying.

I somehow doubt I'd get close to REM sleep in a plane even without OSA, being 6'3" and "large boned"

Colin

Colin