N95 mask and ATC Comm
- Thread starter WannFly
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Velocity173
Used both N95 and surgical. The rigidity of the N95 makes it difficult to get the mic close enough to your mouth, so you have to speak loud. It’s also difficult to breath on hot days like today.
The surgical if far easier to breath and it’s far more pliable so you can get the mic close to your lips. Problem is, the surgical sticks to your lips and like today, my words were slurred a bit on the radios because of it. They’re both a bit annoying but it is what it is.
The surgical if far easier to breath and it’s far more pliable so you can get the mic close to your lips. Problem is, the surgical sticks to your lips and like today, my words were slurred a bit on the radios because of it. They’re both a bit annoying but it is what it is.
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I believe he’s working on his IR.
wearing any of that crap in an airplane in the summer? Not me. Have fun.
Why the F would you fly with a mask on?
flhrci
Final Approach
The flying club I usually fly out of is pushing masks for even single pilot ops. And they will be cleaning the planes weekly so that renters don't need to do it and it is done the same way every time.
RyanShort1
Final Approach
My cousin told me a friend’s dad was allegedly the first to die out in the Midland area of Covid after a trip with friends and he said the other 3 died later, and they had shared a small plane flight - allegedly. Don’t have independent confirmation on that. I’d like to know for sure if it is true.
Exactly...Kind of like when I see people drive solo with their mask on.
Does not compute.
I’d wear it until it starts interfering with radio calls. I think our instructors haven’t had any issues with radio calls with the normal cloth masks. Not sure if anyone has tried with the N95 masks. The planes are so clean nowadays anyway.
Take the mic muff off and put it very close to the mask. It works. It’s not great, but it works. Surgical masks (as mentioned earlier) are much easier to work with.
WannFly
Final Approach
well its when i get on with the CFII for the rest of the IR training
WannFly
Final Approach
surgical mask or a cloth mask as i understand is for moral support. some people very close to me have underlying conditions... so thinking of precautions.
I will give N95 a shot alone and see how that works. if it doesnt and well, will postpone the training i guess.. donnot
@Salty good point about the summer heat.
sigh
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
When I was in the air ambulance and wore the mask, (and sometimes the NBC suit) I just pushed the mic closer to my mouth and spoke louder.
There was only a couple times the controller said he had problems hearing me. I just replied I was wearing a mask and that was the end of that, but I did speak louder.
(as every American knows, if someone can't understand you, then yell louder....)
I saw a guy today in the middle of nowhere, NM solo on a motorcycle with mask on and no helmet...
There was only a couple times the controller said he had problems hearing me. I just replied I was wearing a mask and that was the end of that, but I did speak louder.
(as every American knows, if someone can't understand you, then yell louder....)
Kind of like when I see people drive solo with their mask on.
I saw a guy today in the middle of nowhere, NM solo on a motorcycle with mask on and no helmet...
ah....additional info
woodchucker
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woodchucker
Just cut a hole in the mask to stick the mic inside then seal with tape or glue. Do I have to do all the thinking around here?
/on a more serious note I’ve put my IR training to the side. Will pick it up again when things have calmed down. Probably next spring or summer
/on a more serious note I’ve put my IR training to the side. Will pick it up again when things have calmed down. Probably next spring or summer
My mom dropped off some supplies to my grandma last week and she saw people with masks around their ears smoking cigarettes outside the grocery store lol.I saw a guy today in the middle of nowhere, NM solo on a motorcycle with mask on and no helmet...
Spring Ford
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SpringFord
Surgical/cloth masks are only to lessen the chances of you giving it to someone else.
I present for your edutainment the pee meme:
Hopefully it’s an empty grocery store!
aftCG
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aftCG
Moral support? That's why you're wearing an inefective rag on your face? Are these people with underlying conditions in the plane with you?
WannFly
Final Approach
No, surgical mask or cloth is mostly for you not to spread the joy, that’s why the Q on N95. The people with underlying conditions are close to home that I am contact with often, I am worried about the CFII being the silent carrier, and don’t want to spread the joy.
Yeah...that’s it, you bet. I only go in there on No-Mask Mondays. That’s the day when they only let one person in at a time.
bhopkins32
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bhopkins32
I am in the commercial cleaning business, and have done multiple decontaminations for COVID exposures. Also a private pilot just starting to work on instrument.
What I recommend, and what I do while flying rental aircraft, is this. Carry a can of Lysol or similar disinfectant spray, and use it liberally inside the cockpit - in the air, seats, seat belts, etc. Also carry either disinfectant wipes (good luck finding them if you don't already have a stock), or spray your Lysol onto a clean cloth, and wipe down control surfaces. Obviously, you do not want to spray the Lysol into or even in the direction of the panel. Required kill time for COVID should range between 4-10 minutes depending on the chemical you use. I do all this prior to beginning preflight, which gives plenty of time for the chemicals to work their magic.
If you follow this process, you should have no issues with any contaminants in the aircraft, even if the guy who flew it right ahead of you was COVID positive. I would (and have) taken both my 14YO son and my wife up with me with full confidence. This of course assumes that you aren't with a passenger who might be a carrier.
What I recommend, and what I do while flying rental aircraft, is this. Carry a can of Lysol or similar disinfectant spray, and use it liberally inside the cockpit - in the air, seats, seat belts, etc. Also carry either disinfectant wipes (good luck finding them if you don't already have a stock), or spray your Lysol onto a clean cloth, and wipe down control surfaces. Obviously, you do not want to spray the Lysol into or even in the direction of the panel. Required kill time for COVID should range between 4-10 minutes depending on the chemical you use. I do all this prior to beginning preflight, which gives plenty of time for the chemicals to work their magic.
If you follow this process, you should have no issues with any contaminants in the aircraft, even if the guy who flew it right ahead of you was COVID positive. I would (and have) taken both my 14YO son and my wife up with me with full confidence. This of course assumes that you aren't with a passenger who might be a carrier.
Shawn
En-Route
Which is why the masks are then a thing...less about you randomly breathing it in and contracting but more about an asymptomatic carrier breathing it out into the air which could be anybody...including you.
Get a cloth face mask, problem solved in the plane.
WannFly
Final Approach
That is where more confusion starts and with all kinds of confusing and other theories in the stupid media , it only gets interesting.
Solely my understanding , I could be wrong -
Cloth mask - does nothing to protect you from others, it does help somewhat to protect others from you
N95 - does protect you from others and you aren't spreading it either (?)
dont want this to spiral into mask vs no mask debate or some other form of discussion that becomes political. Want to get the IR done sooner than later since after late Sep, no IMC flight for me till about May next year. heck freezing levels are at 7k feet this week here. but want to do it responsibly and not cause damage to other people
bhopkins32
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bhopkins32
Unfortunately no.
It seems as if more products become available daily, but we've faced shortages on just about anything related to disinfecting or sanitizing.
WannFly
Final Approach
offer a trade from your stack of TP
WannFly
Final Approach
this is my situation, I am the only one flying the plane, not carrying passengers anyway, other than CFII (when i restart the training )
I'm wearing an N95 mask on flights and what I do is I put the mic inside the mask. I know, it is not ideal, but ATC hears me fine. I tried with the mic outside and had the same issue Jason had on his video: ATC could barely hear me.
If you're going to be making several stops, putting the mask on and taking it off at each stop increases the risk of transferring contamination to the wrong side of the mask.Kind of like when I see people drive solo with their mask on.
Does not compute.
Shawn
En-Route
What we knew pre pandemic and what we know now are two different things.
They do "nothing" is not correct...it is rather just a spin of those that say since they are not 100% successful at risk elimination they are completely ineffective, that simply defies logic in the context of mitigating risk.
What has been discovered is that one of the major carries of the virus is the vapor that is expelled from coughing, singing, talking and even simply breathing. In a confined space like an airplane cockpit with stagnant or worse, any other room that has an air circulation system those droplet do not just fall they remain swirling in the air.
Any covering of the face reduces that output of carriers most of which are unaware they have it. That is why CDC initially said no masks...because it was though community touch was the transmitter and airborne risk was so low masks were ineffective (plus the PPE supply issue). That ahs since evolved to the primary function of face covering to be preventing the unknowing carriers from spreading it...as well as reducing your risk when within proximity to another person. If there is less virus being projected out into the air in proximity to others and less virus being breathed in by the uninfected...guess what, that is risk mitigation.
An N95 mask that is not properly fitted to the face...like modified for a boom mic...has zero advantages to use over a basic cloth mask.
Health officials have done such a poor job of educating the populous and allowed rampant fear mongering to prevail, I have little hope for our risk mutation efforts to be successful as a nation.
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chemgeek
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To protect yourself, an N95 mask has to be tightly fitted. To protect others, even a basic cloth mask will reduce viral load by 90% or so. Is that enough to be safe in a cockpit for an hour? I have no idea. But it's better than nothing. This stupid virus is very contagious, more so than flu, if that's any help. With an instructor who has been isolating at home, I'm willing to take the risk with cloth masks for a BFR, but maybe not for three times a week instruction. Probably neither one of us is infectious. But it's a crap shoot.
I flew with an N95 recently and it is doable but tiring. I had to remember to speak very loudly in order to be clearly heard by ATC. Wears you out after a while. Next flight will be with one of the thin blue surgical masks that are available.
My last flight this weekend I switched from N95 to surgical mask. Much better to breath and talk to ATC.