Aircraft Instruments - Kelly Aviation

Developed by NASA, and made available to the public through Kelly Aviation as a licensee. The PCM 1000 Personal Cabin Pressure and Altitude Monitorcan help prevent the type of accident that killed pro golfer Payne Stewart, whose chartered Learjet lost pressure and continued on its autopilot-guided path, after all aboard had lost consciousness in a depressurization accident.

This 6.3 ounce device can alert a pilot when he's approaching a hypoxic condition, or keep him warned if he strays outside a pilot-preference altitude window. It's also an accurate altimeter, set to either standard or actual pressure.

If a pilot flies at 12,500 feet for half an hour, a vibrator, light, and warning tone all go off, to remind the pilot that it's time for auxilary oxygen. If 14,000 feet is reached, the same thing happens.

At lower altitudes, the PCM-1000 can help you not bust airspace. It can be set to keep you between two altitudes, programmable in 10-foot intervals.

If you fly in a pressurized cabin, it's a great monitor, to make sure your cabin altitude isn't climbing. for instance, if you have an 8000 foot cabin, and you set the altitude alert to go off at 9000 feet, you'll have plenty of time to react to a pressure drop. A slow drop in pressure, over a long flight, can be an insidious killer.