Lightspeed is on a mission to create products that protect and saves lives. One of those products is the latest eBook, “CO + Aviation: A Deadly Mix”. This free eBook explains the causes and effects of CO poisoning, the steps you can take to prevent it, and what to do if you suspect it. We’ve also included some stories from pilots who’ve experienced CO poisoning, to show the different ways it can appear.
Pilots know that carbon monoxide (CO) can be dangerous- it’s a constant and common risk in aviation. And a pilot cannot simply pull over and get out of the aircraft when CO is present during flight. In aviation, CO poisoning kills.
One of those pilots is Bill Bond who lives in Elk River, MN, and flies his 1968 Mooney M20C Ranger out of Anoka Airport (KANE) in Blaine, MN. He had a chance to preview the eBook and let us know his thoughts on the subject of CO in Aviation. Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Here’s what Bill had to say:
Congratulations to Lightspeed Aviation for this focus on CO detection in aircraft. The subtle but deadly impact of CO in our airplane cabins deserves much more attention. What a great service to provide the Delta Zulu Headset with built-in CO monitoring and detection. By coincidence I met Dan Bass a couple of years ago when I was pursuing formation flying training in preparation for joining the Mooney Caravan flight to the E.A.A. Air Adventure in Oshkosh. We had an intense discussion as I learned the details including passing out in flight as CO entered his Mooney cockpit. The Mooney in which he crashed unconsciously from CO poisoning was the same make and model as mine! I came to a firm conviction that day to purchase and utilize on each flight a quality portable CO detector. You can be sure my next headset will be the Delta Zulu with CO detection to protect me in my Mooney and other aircraft I fly.
The C-182 I normally fly has a tiny CO sticker all the way to the right side of the panel that changes color to indicate the presence of CO. Looks good, but seriously, how effective does anyone this it is going to be in case of a real CO situation. My guess is nobody pays attention to it and it will not help. Inserting a reliable CO detector into the headset is undeniably the most prudent thing to do and as long as it works will 100% of the time get the pilot’s immediate attention. This is real safety. Not virtue safety.
I’d like to try these out.