Posted on 08/01/2012 9:29:04 AM PDT by moonshot925
(CBS News) A new valve to regulate oxygen flow to a pilot's inflatable vest could be the fix to help F-22 pilots overcome their feeling of disorientation due to lack of oxygen (or hypoxia), while flying, CBS News has learned.
Correspondent David Martin reported Tuesday that Gen. Charles Lyon, the head of the task force investigating the cause of hypoxia in F-22 pilots, gave a briefing today which restated the Air Force's belief that they have identified the problem that was causing pilots to lose oxygen.
Lyon believes the Air Force has found the cause -- an inflatable vest which was restricting the pilots' breathing -- and the fix -- a new valve that regulates the flow of oxygen to the vest. The new valve begins testing next month and should be installed by the end of the year.
Right now, pilots are flying without the vest, which restricts them to altitudes below 44,000 feet. Once the valve is installed the F-22 will be able to go to its maximum altitude of more than 50,000 feet.
New oxygen sensors are also being installed on the aircraft. Once they are, the current flight restriction that restricts F-22s to within 30 minutes of a landing field will be lifted. (They were suspended to allow a deployment of F-22s to Japan last week which required them to fly at distances an hour and a half from a landing field.) That will probably be sometime this fall.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
0bama’s new military; Hellbent on making sure the enemy always knows what our limitations are.
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