In March, the Parachute Industry Association issued a voluntary “safety stand-down” of jumps from 18,000 feet msl and above pending a review of procedures and recommendations for high-altitude jumps. The review is expected to take one year. You can read the PIA statement here: 20220321-PIA-HighAlttiude-Safety-Stand-Down-Recommendation.pdf. The action came after a well-publicized accident last October in which a tandem instructor died during an attempt to set a tandem jump altitude record at 41,000 feet.
FAR 91.211 requires pilots to be “provided with and use” oxygen when above 12,500 feet msl after more than 30 minutes and at all times above 14,000 feet msl. However, aircraft occupants, skydivers included, must only be “provided with” oxygen; they aren’t required by the FAR to “use” it. Equipment and procedural recommendations for skydivers making high-altitude jumps are found in Section 6-7 of the U.S. Parachute Association’s Skydivers Information Manual, here: United States Parachute Association > Safety and Training > SIM > Section 6 (uspa.org).
Although 1956-1960 models of the Cessna 182 have a surprising 20,000-foot service ceiling, 182 jump pilots most commonly fly jump runs between 10,000 and 13,000 feet agl, so they rarely must deal with oxygen rules and requirements. Turbine jump pilots, of course, deal with oxygen rules and requirements much more often.
