Oxygen System Management Tools

March 5, 2026

ADSOPP stands for Aeronautical Data Systems Oxygen Planning Products.

Aeronautical Data Systems (ADS) was founded in 1991 by Bill Mack and Jim Stabile, following a decade of dedicated research into aircraft oxygen systems. As early as the 1980s, Mack and Stabile recognized the critical interdependence between an aircraft's fuel and oxygen systems. In worst-case scenarios—such as simultaneous engine failure and cabin decompression (often analyzed at the Equal Time Point, or ETP)—both resources must be managed together effectively. However, traditional metrics made this challenging: fuel was measured in pounds per hour, while oxygen was tracked in PSI but consumed in liters per minute. This mismatch complicated real-time decision-making during emergencies.

Historically, pilots facing decompression followed standard procedures by descending to 10,000 feet, where supplemental oxygen is no longer required, resolving the immediate oxygen issue. Yet this low-altitude descent dramatically increases fuel burn and reduces true airspeed, potentially creating a new crisis: insufficient fuel to reach a safe landing site. The challenge intensifies with concurrent engine failure and decompression.

Over the following three decades, Mack and Stabile developed a standardized, time- and distance-based metric to integrate fuel and oxygen management seamlessly.

Key products in the ADS suite include:

• Ergo360: An intuitive iPad application that allows pilots to input fuel (in pounds) and oxygen (in PSI). Leveraging advanced technology, it converts these into a clear visual representation on a geospatial moving map. Fuel and oxygen "distance rings" appear around the aircraft's current position, enabling pilots to instantly see how far they can fly before depleting either resource. It supports both planning and dynamic in-flight modes, including scenarios like rapid or slow decompressions and engine failures.

• EOPS (Electronic Oxygen Planning Service): A next-generation pre-flight planning tool integrated into the pilot's workflow. It receives the fuel-based ETP from the flight planning provider, then computes an oxygen-specific ETP. Accounting for crew and passenger numbers, it calculates required oxygen in liters and converts it to the minimum dispatch pressure in PSI—providing pilots with a clear, standardized minimum oxygen dispatch requirement for the first time. EOPS also factors in additional oxygen needs for regulatory compliance (e.g., operations above 35,000/41,000 feet), therapeutic/medical use, or other scenarios impacting onboard supply. This supports SAFO compliance, FAA ramp checks, and overall operational safety.

• Ergo Blue: Another iPad app focused on enhancing situational awareness during emergencies. It displays nearby ships' positions relative to the aircraft and along the planned route. In events like an onboard fire or an uncontrollable aircraft, resulting in  a potential ditching (especially at night, in low visibility, or under low ceilings), pilots gain immediate awareness of nearby vessels for rescue coordination. This reduces pilot workload and task saturation while accelerating rescue response times by providing precise positional maritime data.

The full suite of ADS programs is designed to be SMS-compliant (aligned with FAA Safety Management System requirements under FAR 14 CFR Part 5 and AC 120-92B), incorporating comprehensive oxygen risk analysis, standardization, and tools for hazard management. These solutions are particularly valuable for overwater, long-haul, extended-range, or high-altitude operations, where fuel-oxygen integration and emergency preparedness are paramount. ADS continues to emphasize reducing pilot workload, standardizing metrics (e.g., time remaining), and improving safety through innovative, visual, and time-based tools.