Flight Endurance

[pppatacki]

Ok, so I have enjoyed reading all the post and have learned a lot about CAP. 
I do have a question. I have read that some missions can last 3 or 4 hours. So............... Do you have bladders of steel? I can see 2 hours maybe even 3 if you are not drinking water but 4? So how do you handle this?

Thanks,

Pete

[jimmydeanno]

Go before you take-off.

[Al Sayre]

Avoid caffine and eat a salty snack like peanuts or chips.  Caffine is a diuretic, but the salt from the snack will help your body to retain water.  Drain your bladder immediately before departure even if you don't feel like you need to right then.

[Eclipse]

With some exceptions anything more than a couple of hours will be a high-bird sortie or similar, probably orbiting over or near an airfield. Most CAP planes run out of gas around the same time the people inside are "full".

The longest I've done was a 4-hour highbird as MRO and both the pilot and I were quite ready to pour fuel
when we finally landed.

AOBD's like to rotate aircrews, there are ORM issues with longer sorties, and aircrews duty-days they can't break, so long-duration missions are going to be fairly rare, but in a pinch, your water bottle can be used as
liquid storage, too.

[Flying Pig]

Take an empty bottle with you.  I use 1 qt size peanut container with cat litter in it.
Im going to write a book titled Memoirs of a Surveillance Pilot  Look for it.

[Hawk200]

Something that was mentioned during RSC was large Ziploc bags with a diaper inside.  Turn the diaper inside out so it will absorb better. I haven't tried it, but it seems like it works.

As for the bottles, the large mouth Gatorade bottles seem to be the best bet. Easier to hit when it's a little bumpy.

[bosshawk]

Rob: most of the time that I see you on a Sheriff's mission you are lounging on a couch, watching TV, and complaining that your target hasn't appeared.  Not much of an issue with the bladder there.

[Flying Pig]

Well, the problem is when I have to pee and its still several minutes until the commercial break....Shows what you know!

[Eclipse]

You could always invest in a "Stadium Pal"...

[pppatacki]

So far beyond the common sense suggestions, I like the bottle with cat litter the best. There is something a bit strange about the diaper idea 

[TXCAP]

Emptied water bottles always work.  If you want something a little more upscale I have found the Travel John packs work well.
http://www.sportys.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&did=19&product_id=299

[Flying Pig]

So far beyond the common sense suggestions, I like the bottle with cat litter the best. There is something a bit strange about the diaper idea 

YES! I WON :clap:

[MSgt Van]

GA-8 - camera window...

[EMT-83]

We do 4 hour patrols on a regular basis. I plan on limiting fluid intake before the flight and visiting the rest room just prior to leaving. I always bring a water bottle, and start drinking in the last hour of the patrol. I'm ready to it the head again when we land, but never worry about dehydration.

[Hawk200]

So far beyond the common sense suggestions, I like the bottle with cat litter the best. There is something a bit strange about the diaper idea 

That was suggested by Col Ed Lewis. He learned that trick while he was flying in the Air Force. I haven't tried it, but I've used Gatorade bottles before.

[PHall]

There's also a product out there called "Brief Relief". We use them at AT&T.
They have a powder in them that gels the liquid so spilling is not a problem. And they have a very good seal too.

[RiverAux]

Be sure you're either flying as a scanner or are REALLY comfortable with the guy (or gal) next to you in the front of the plane if you're going to try some of these moves.

[pppatacki]

RiverAux - Good point.

[Flying Pig]

Just take a helicopter.  You can literally pee right there.

[bosshawk]

One of my funniest stories involving aviation revolves around a good friend of mine who was flying with me from Rapid City, SD to Ogden, UT in my Bonanza.  He had a 1 hr bladder on a three hour flight, so decided to use his "Piddle Pac", which he thought was in the back seat.  He climbed over the seat and discovered that said pac was really in the baggage compartment and then took a half hour to find it.  Then, he had trouble locating certain other plumbing and getting it to function.  When he finally climbed back over the front seat into his seat, we were less than a half hour out of Ogden.

You had to be there to hear the language over the noise of the engine.

[c172drv]

Longest flight I know of was a few month ago by a squadron mate of mine.  It was 6 hour highbird sortie at night in IFR.  They took a few drinks and a few sandwiches.  Both of them held out some how and managed to use a bathroom after landing.  I've got pretty long legs now but I fly all the time and I've programed myself to take it.

John

[Eclipse]

6 hours?  Did they have Gerry-cans on the back seat?

Good on them for doing it, but I'd have to say that's pretty poor ORM and use of crews by the AOBD.

Night IFR?  Pretty unusual for us.

[flyerthom]

Been a nurse for 19 years most of it ER and ICU before HEMS. I think I can hold an entire keg.

[Flying Pig]

Night IFR for 6 hours?  Id be sleeping for the next 2 days.

[Thrashed]

I do 16 hour flights at work, so I have a pretty good bladder.  I get to use the toliet, but not often enough sometimes.

[Gunner C]

I'm going to be flying two long missions at the end of the month.  Since my bladder has shrunk, I'm going to use the kitty litter system (I think I'll take a couple).  I'll report back on how well it worked.  Thankfully, there's no females on the crew. 

[c172drv]

They did a good ORM evaluation before they started this flight.  There were 2 very experience IFR current, not just qualified.  They knew of the planned long endurance and carried stuff to make it tolerable.  They were on station for 4 hours with an hour out and back while teams searched below for a missing hiker.  They were the only means of communications to the teams.  Some of the issues that led to this were the weather a very little crews that were qualified and comfortable with the operation.  Additional factor was there was a high probablility the victim was alive an in need of assistance as they were blind.  This crew also involved many others around them to get advice and to ensure they had  a good plan prior to their launch.

In the end the person was found after a few more high endurance missions from other crews.

[Gunner C]

Some of the issues that led to this were the weather a very little crews that were qualified and comfortable with the operation.  Additional factor was there was a high probablility the victim was alive an in need of assistance as they were blind.  This crew also involved many others around them to get advice and to ensure they had  a good plan prior to their launch.

Great mission! 

But one question:  where are you finding these little crews?  Can you attach the Gatorade bottles to their booster seats?  (sorry had to ask) 

[Mustang]

Anybody got a commercial source for military-grade "piddle packs"?  Might be a more discreet option when you know you're gonna be up longer than your bladder can hold out.

I used to do aerial photomapping work where 4+ hr flights were routine. After landing and before engine shutdown, I had to sit in place for 3 minutes while the computer got a high-precision GPS fix. Some days, those were the longest 3 minutes of my life!

[notaNCO forever]

 Anyone try using depends? Just wondering, I don't think it would be very comfortable the rest of the flight.

[EMT-83]

^ Do you mean daily, or just for long flights?

[notaNCO forever]

 Either the idea just popped in my head. It has the pro of not worrying about having to be comfortable with the flight crew.

[bosshawk]

Has anyone heard the story of John Glenn sitting for hours on top of the Atlas rocket, waiting for his delayed liftoff.  It can have you in stitches.  NASA had not planned on what would occur if an astronaut got to sit in his capsule, while his three orbit flight got delayed for hours.

[PHall]

Has anyone heard the story of John Glenn sitting for hours on top of the Atlas rocket, waiting for his delayed liftoff.  It can have you in stitches.  NASA had not planned on what would occur if an astronaut got to sit in his capsule, while his three orbit flight got delayed for hours.

There's also that scene in "The Right Stuff" where Gordon Cooper solves his too many cups of coffee "problem".

[SarDragon]

Actually, that was Alan Shepard. More here. Cooper was the one who "authorized" the "relief" action.

[bosshawk]

You are correct, Dave.  I just remembered the story and assumed that it was Glenn.

I worked on STS-27 and happened to mention this whole thing to the five guys who flew on that mission.  Interesting answers, as I remember(21 yrs ago).

[Mustang]

Actually, that was Alan Shepard. More here. Cooper was the one who "authorized" the "relief" action.

Paul got it half-right: it was Scott Glenn, the actor, portraying Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff.