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Old 11th Apr 2014, 20:18
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PersonFromPorlock
 
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But above 40k they would need pressure breathing and I don't believe that is available.
Above 34K, IIRC. Max altitude with pressure breathing depends on somewhat flexible physiological constraints, but B-52 pressure breathing was limited in the Dash-1 to 42K.

And don't overlook the non-hypoxic effects of decompression: having your internal gases suddenly try to triple in volume, for instance, could prove... distracting.
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