35,000 feet on the ground

LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Senior Airman Robert Myers, 47th Aeromedical Dental Squadron, mans the chamber’s lock station. If a student pilot has a problem while the main chamber is “at altitude” and must return to ground level, Aerospace Physiology technicians will put them in the lock section to descend while continuing the main chamber flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Austin M. May)

Room with a view

LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Staff Sgt. Keith Lewis, chamber flight lecturer, tells student pilots what altitude they are at, different things occurring at that altitude such as gas expansion, and physiologically what this means for the aircrew member. Senior Airman Brian Evans, chamber operator, physically “drives” the chamber profile, ascending and descending as necessary. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Austin M. May)

Student pilots soar to 35,000 feet, never leave ground

Published July 18, 2007
By Staff Sgt. Austin M. May
47th FTW public affairs

LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The pressurized cockpits of Laughlin's three training aircraft keep student and instructor pilots comfortable while flying at altitudes several thousand feet in the air.

In the unlikely event that something goes wrong and the aircraft loses pressure, the pilots must be able to recognize the effects and know how to safely put the aircraft back on the ground.

At the 47th Aeromedical Dental Squadron's Aerospace Physiology training flight, a massive altitiude chamber allows students to take a simulated flight to 35,000 feet without ever leaving the ground.

While in the chamber, students learn to recognize the signs of hypoxia, a condition that occurs when not enough oxygen is delivered to the brain, said 1st Lt. Sharon Beuscher, Human Performance Training Team element chief.

The symptoms of hypoxia vary from person to person, so it is vital to flight safety that students be able to recognize their own symptoms in a safe environment where trained experts can monitor students and no lives are at stake, the lieutenant said.