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Medical Official Explains F-22 Pilot-Protection Efforts By Amaani Lyle |
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May 16, 2012 - Air Force officials have instituted
measures designed to protect its pilots, ensure mission
completion and assess the possible physiological effects
of flying the F-22 Raptor, the command surgeon for Air
Combat Command said on Wednesday.
"The health and safety of our pilots all of our pilots
is the utmost priority," said Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Daniel O.
Wyman. "Our operational flight surgeons and medical
staff interact with our pilots on a daily basis, and
mission number one is their health and safety."
Before resuming F-22 flights in September 2011 after a
safety stand-down, Wyman said, officials collected
baseline blood samples and pulmonary function tests from
every pilot. |
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"We had every pilot go through retraining with the reduced
oxygen breathing device so that they would experience and know
their own specific 'hypoxia symptoms,'" he said, adding that the
command also incorporated a pilot pulse oximeter and the C2A1
filter as protective measures.
Designed and certified by the Defense Department for the
chemical warfare environment, Wyman said, the C2A1 filter
canister was incorporated into the pilot's life support system
to filter any potential contaminants from the air they breathed.
The filter has been tested against military and National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health protocols and found
to be effective against a number of different chemical warfare
and industrial chemicals.
"It was cleared for flight use by the U.S. Air Force program
office and has been used by the military for over a decade in
the ground crew and aircrew ensembles," he added.
Once flying resumed, Wyman said, a black dust was found in some
of the breathing hoses near the C2A1 filter. |