Folks,

My GF has a condition called "LAM" which is an abbreviation for a long-arsed word that describes the affected areas of the body. You can Google it for more info but suffice to say, as it progresses, it makes it harder to breathe because it reduces the ability of the lungs to transfer oxygen to the blood. For her, even a small amount of exertion can be exhausting.

Anyway, she took a commercial flight to NJ a couple weeks ago - maybe a hour and a half trip. Going up she flew in a newer turboprop, the Bombardier Q400. Supposedly, the Q400 is able to closely fly the profile of a pure jet with the economy of a turboprop. On the way there, she flew a cruising altitude of 19,000 feet. On the way back, she flew in a standard Boeing 737-700 at an altitude of 27,000 feet.

Now to the problem:

On the way up she reported moderate respiratory distress as the aircraft was climbing to cruise altitude. This distress continued until the plane made it's initial descent to EWR. On the way back, she reported no distress of any kind in the 737-700.

The question:

We're trying to account for the difference in flying experiences between the aircraft. As far as pressurization is concerned, what differences, if any, are there between the T-prop and the Jet? How are they pressurized? Bleed air? Are all aircraft pressurized to a standard 8000 feet?

She is a fairly frequent flier and reported feeling well and "normal" before both flights. However, she has never flown in the Q400 before.

Thanks for the ideas and insight.

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250