Physiological training flight helps aircrew maintain level head when the pressure's on

1997
Originally published by Fairchild Connection (Fairchild AFB, WA)

Inside a sleek, high-powered aircraft which is going at breakneck speed, a pilot is in trouble. At an altitude of 35,000 feet, he can't afford to have any. But he can't remember even his simplest instruments and his concentration is struggling. Suddenly, the possibility of unconsciousness becomes very real.

Because he has been trained to use life-support oxygen equipment and became confident in using it in case of a crisis in an actual mission, the pilot was able to reverse his condition and survive the treachery. Such is the mission of the Physiological Training Flight at the 92nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron.

"Hypoxia is when oxygen is cut off from the brain," said SrA. George Green, aerospace physiology technician. "There's no suffocating feeling. You don't get a painful sensation or anything like that. But that feeling is deadly, especially at 35,000 feet.

"At that point, how long it would take for death wouldn't matter, since the real question is how long it would take for the plane to nose dive and crash with an unconcious pilot aboard. That's why we teach aircrew members--espcially those flying alone--how to target the symptoms immediately."

The flight is assigned to the 92nd Medical Support Squadron and its main mission is to train and educate aircrew members on the hazards of high altitude.

The classroom instruction gives way to experiences in the low pressure (hypobaric) chamber. "It's like flying at high altitude," said Green.

"New aircrew members will actually use life-support oxygen equipment and become confident in it prior to using it in an actual mission," he added. "We'll take the chamber up to 35,000 feet. Out of a class of 16 students we bring in here, we'll have one individual remove his mask and give him a game toy to play with. In less than thirty seconds, he won't be able to work or play with it. It's total mental confusion. By the time a minute is up, he's unconscious."

When the person is revived with oxygen, he then works on the game toy with success in less than five seconds, Green said.

According to Green, at 25,000 feet, the time a person can stand without oxygen becomes three to five minutes and the symptoms are slower to hit home.

"The symptoms are tingling, dizziness, headaches, nausea and blurred vision," Green said. "You use what you learned in the classroom to correct the symptoms by using the equipment. If a pilot is by himself and he feels tingly or dizzy, he can remember what means and fix the problem without assistance."

Gas expansion also plays a major role in oxygen problems up in the air, said Green.

"At 43,000 feet, a tiny little gas bubble in someone's stomach can expand to nine times its size," Green said. "I'm sure everybody has had severe gas pain from time to time. Up in the air, you can pass out easily."

The hyperbaric chamber, an operational facility that treats depression sickness, treated six persons last year for carbon monoxide poisoning, according to Green.

"We also teach night vision from aircraft, a visual class and basic craft survival," said Green. "We require refresher training every three years. It's mandatory that every aircrew member come back and see us every three years. We feel it's important to know and treat the symptoms and when you come in the classroom, we tell you: 'This is what you need to know and do.'"

Green has been in the Air Force seven years. He said it is a much different job than other jobs he has seen.

"We get to do everything an aircrew member gets to do. We go to Combat and Survival School here, arctic survival school and water survival school. We have individuals who have also gone to jump school--the Army Airborne Parachutist Course--plus instructor training schools."

Incentives such as hazardous duty pay, jump status and flight pay for the tasks the flight performs are also there, said Green.

"It's stressed that you stay as fit as possible for the missions we perform," said Green. "They are very difficult to do. You have to really know anatomy and physiology and have to be expressive and articulate for classroom speaking. One of our goals is being able to present information in the classroom enthusiastically and have a good teaching method.

"We teach deadly important information here. We've found a way to do it while having fun, but staying professional."

"It's a demanding career," Green summed up.