LouThe Seneca Five does have built in oxygen. There is a Kevlar bottle and plumbing in the ceiling with pick up points for six oxygen masks.To the other posters to my reply I go onto oxygen above 14000 feet ASL and above 12500 feet will take a few breaths of oxygen every so often.Really the seneca loves to fly high, at 20,000 feet she is still climbing at 900 feet per minute which the earlier senecas wouldnt beat low down.The Seneca five will out climb a Malibu Mirage and will not be far behind a Kingair 90B in climb or cruise.At FL200 expect 216 kts. With higher level winds I have seen groundspeeds touching 300 kts and you can use the climb ability of the seneca to get over most weather especially in our part of the world.Engine out she will maintain level flight at 17000 feet which puts the non turbocharged barons to shame.Do I and passengers like breathing oxygen? No :-)pressurised is a much more civilised way to go.Peter

I think what Lou was meaning is that O2 is usually an option and not standard on most piston powered aircraft.

>I think what Lou was meaning is that O2 is usually an option>and not standard on most piston powered aircraft.JeffHad a look and yes oxygen is a $9000 optional extra. Having said that I have never seen one without this "extra".As the aircraft has had so much development to fly in the high teens it seems pretty pointless to offer oxygen as an optional extra rather than standard fit.Oh well I suppose it makes the aircraft appear cheaper ;-)Peter

Yes, O2 is an extra so they can get more money, but also keep in mind that they sell aircraft to alot of other places besides those that have mountainous regions.As far as engine performance goes, the technology in the engines are not restricted by alitiude the same way we are as people, so the performance figures or service ceilings are probably common to all similar types of aircraft with similar engines. It only makes sense. hehe. I believe most of these engines/aircraft are commonly certified to the upper teens to low 20's, give or take a few.

It's funny, our airport (SLLP) is located at 13.300 feet, and yes, it's an international one, American have daily fligths with a 757.I heard pilots that fly regional routes here on Grand Caravans go to 18.000 with no oxygen.Best regards,

>I heard pilots that fly regional routes here on Grand Caravans>go to 18.000 with no oxygen.>Wow, that's getting up there. Those pilots must be used to (lungs, etc.) the high altitude...kind of like the Sherpas in the Himalayas. If you are in La Paz, you are probably much more suited for high altitude whereas me, at 400 ft ASL, would not be, at least without a period of adjustment.Rhett