Pilot products

Review

Time traveler

Jack Mason watch for the AOPA adventurer

By Chris Rose

When it comes to aviation watches, the name Jack Mason probably isn’t the first name that comes to mind, but that is about to change. The Texas-based watchmaker has teamed with AOPA to create a purpose-built luxury chronometer that’s ruggedly stylish and reasonably priced when compared to others with this level of features and craftsmanship.

Like the analog aircraft instrumentation that clearly inspired this watch’s design, functionality takes precedence over unnecessary embellishment—aside from a small AOPA logo on the face. The crown and dual pushers are slightly oversized to provide quick and easy access to the main functions, even when wearing gloves. The bidirectional bezel aligns perfectly and mirrors the full set of Arabic numerals around the face, providing five solid and satisfying clicks between each.

If you’ve ever re-capped an empty water bottle, you understand the effects of altitude and pressure changes on sealed objects—which is why Jack Mason opted for an acrylic crystal rather than mineral glass. This material provides slight flexibility and keeps the watch face virtually shatterproof. The watch is fitted with a handsome brown Italian-leather band with hand-sewn details and satin black buckle matching the case. The color combination is visually striking and seems to further this timepiece’s aviation DNA. 

On the wrist, this watch is solid—you will not forget you’re wearing it (which I personally like). The 45-mm black steel case and black face combine the main movement with 12-hour, 30-minute, and 60-second subdials. The easy-to-read white-on-black markings utilize a combination of high-quality Swiss Superluminova luminescent paint and harmless tritium isotope tubes, giving the markers a 25-year glow for those nighttime flights. Inside the case, a Ronda Caliber 5030.D does the work. This Swiss-made chrono movement utilized by many luxury brands is well known for its accuracy and dependability. To further assure accuracy in the highly magnetic environment of an aircraft cockpit, Jack Mason has shrouded the movement in a soft iron cage to prevent interference.

“With a whole cadre of AOPA pilots giving their input, we helped create a watch that is actually made by and for pilots,” said Jiri Marousek, senior vice president of marketing for AOPA. “We also intentionally gathered suggestions from pilots that fly different airplanes and missions to help Jack Mason create a watch that can serve in any cockpit.”

Whether it’s mountain flying in the Idaho backcountry or dinner with friends at a downtown restaurant, the AOPA Watch by Jack Mason feels right at home. And while it has all the features you’d expect to find in a timepiece of this quality, the watch’s unpretentious and useful design makes it an instant classic you’ll be proud to own for years to come.

Going high

Aerox portable oxygen system offers range, endurance, and speed in a bottle

By Dave Hirschman

Visibility was excellent across the East Coast, but this was shaping up to be a challenging flight.

The 700-nm route from Central Florida to western Maryland was at the edge of the AOPA Sweepstakes RV-10’s nonstop range; a 50-knot northwest wind at altitude meant turbulence was likely in the lee of the Appalachian Mountains; the last hour of the four-hour trip would take place after dark, and I was tired from a hectic schedule and had just finished a three-hour drive.

The wind between 5,000 and 8,000 feet, where the normally aspirated RV-10 typically flies, was unfavorable with a 20-knot headwind component. But above 11,000 feet, the wind direction changed to a quartering tailwind—and the combination of a faster groundspeed and reduced fuel consumption at a higher altitude meant I’d be able to land at my destination with a one-hour fuel reserve.

My ace in the hole was a portable Aerox aviation oxygen system. Strapping on the nose cannula and letting the oxygen flow at altitude would help me stay alert and avoid the postflight headaches I often get after long flights above 10,000 feet. The Sweeps RV–10 has a built-in pulse oximeter so I’d be able to keep tabs on my blood oxygen level throughout the flight.

Leaving Central Florida at 4 p.m., I picked up flight following, made my way to the coastline, and climbed without oxygen to 11,500 feet. There, the pulse oximeter showed an oxygen saturation level of 85 percent, down from 98 percent at sea level.

I felt fine, but 85 percent is a compromised blood oxygen level. I’m a nonsmoker, 59 years old, and in good physical shape, so I was somewhat surprised by the relatively low reading. I put on the cannula, opened the valve on the oxygen tank, and adjusted the needle valve for the current altitude. My blood oxygen level instantly rose to 94 percent. A few minutes later, it was at 96 percent—almost the same as sea level.

The RV-10 has an exceptionally high service ceiling for a nonturbocharged airplane—20,000 feet. I’ve taken it up to 17,500 feet, and that’s near the limit of 18,000 feet for nose cannula oxygen systems. But the evening flight up the East Coast showed me the biggest benefits from the oxygen system may actually come at “non-oxygen” altitudes.

Above 10,000 feet, there’s little air traffic from fellow piston pilots, and the turboprops (and jets) are usually far higher. There are real range and endurance benefits for piston pilots above 10,000 feet, and oxygen systems last a long time there. If the oxygen system gets depleted or fails during flight, there’s no danger of a sudden loss of consciousness. Pilots can simply descend to comfortable altitudes and continue.

Portable oxygen systems aren’t for every flight. Sometimes stronger headwinds at high altitudes negate any benefits. The Aerox system is a completely standalone unit that doesn’t require aircraft power, or even batteries.

Oxygen systems do need to be maintained, monitored, refilled, and there are lots of ways for pilots and passengers to mishandle them or use them incorrectly. The cannulas can get uncomfortable during prolonged use, they can interfere with the ear seals on ANR headsets, and refilling bottles at FBOs (instead of scuba shops or hospital/industrial air service stations) can be expensive.

Oxygen allows pilots to complete some flights with greater speed and efficiency, fewer stops, more fuel reserves, less fatigue, and—if we’re lucky—smoother air. Flight conditions were mostly pleasant above 9,000 feet on this particular evening and choppy below.

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