| Characteristics | Flyers(n = 40) | Non-flyers(n = 13) | p Value | Flying with complications(n = 11) | Flying without complications(n = 29) | p Value |
| Age (years) | 40.3 (13.5) | 34.6 (13.2) | 0.18 | 39.0 (13.1) | 40.9 (13.8) | 0.69 |
| Female gender, No (%) | 26 (65) | 9 (69) | 1.00 | 10 (90) | 16 (55) | 0.061 |
| Resting oxygen saturation (%) | 81 (7) | 78 (9) | 0.24 | 83 (6) | 80 (7) | 0.26 |
| Oxygen saturation on high flow O2 (%) | 92 (5) | 87 (9) | 0.031 | 93 (4) | 92 (6) | 0.45 |
| Saturation after 6MWT (%) | 58 (10) | 59 (14) | 0.82 | 58 (11) | 58 (10) | 0.99 |
| Six-minute walk distance (m) | 375 (107) | 322 (106) | 0.14 | 370 (118) | 376 (106) | 0.89 |
| Haemoglobin (g/day) | 19.6 (2.7) | 20.1 (3.3) | 0.59 | 19.8 (2.8) | 19.6 (2.7) | 0.85 |
| Packed cell volume (%) | 60 (8) | 62 (9) | 0.38 | 59 (9) | 61 (8) | 0.48 |
| Platelet count (109/l) | 152 (59) | 125 (54) | 0.16 | 176 (50) | 143 (61) | 0.14 |
| Total flights made (n) | 9 (5) | 17 (16) | 0.091 | |||
| Total miles flown (miles) | 26 351 (29 021) | 27 211 (29 952) | 0.94 | |||
| Average flight length (miles/trip) | 2767 (1847) | 1479 (797) | 0.004 | |||
| P50 O2–Hg dissociation curve (mm Hg) | 29.5 (2.8) | 29.8 (1.9) | 0.83 | 29.4 (2.5) | 29.6 (3.2) | 0.93 |
| New York Heart Assn Class 3–4, No (%) | 11 (28) | 7 (54) | 0.10 | 2 (29) | 9 (27) | 1.00 |
| Active smoker, No (%) | 4 (10) | 1 (8) | 1.00 | 2 (18) | 2 (7) | 0.30 |
| History of significant haemoptysis, No (%) | 16 (40) | 6 (46) | 0.75 | 4 (36) | 12 (41) | 1.00 |
| Routine use of supplemental O2, No (%) | 5 (13) | 7 (54) | 0.005 | 0 | 5 (17) | 0.30 |
| Iron deficient, No (%) | 17 (43) | 5 (39) | 1.00 | 5 (46) | 12 (41) | 1.00 |
Results are shown as mean (SD) unless stated otherwise.
6MWT, 6-minute walk test; O2–Hg, oxygen–haemoglobin.