U.S. Navy Further Limits T-45 Flying To 5,000 ft. 21 Apr 2017 AvWeak
"...one pilot reported minor headaches and the symptoms had subsided as the aircraft descended. A medical team assessed that this discomfort resulted from the high g-forces that were being experienced at the upper edge of the 10,000-ft. altitude limit. The pilots had been conducting dynamic flight maneuvers above 4 g at 10,000 ft. with the adjusted masks “to better understand the limitations of the new procedures,” a Navy spokeswoman said on April 21. “This was one flight out of 92 flown over the two days.
“Based on feedback from the instructor pilots, we have implemented further precautionary measures,” she adds. “We [also] sent a team of engineers to Kingsville to inspect the aircraft.”
Instructor pilots have already reported concerns about the new mask configuration being used, a congressional staffer with knowledge of the issue says. Pilots are finding it uncomfortable to breathe through the modified mask. Another problem is that the new system requires the pilot to re-hook the Obogs if he or she needs to use the emergency oxygen, which is not ideal.
“We are re-evaluating the new mask configuration based on feedback aircrew conveyed after their flights,” the Navy says. “Safety is our priority; we will ensure that all mitigations are implemented, required procedural changes identified and communicated with all our aviators.”
The 29-year-old training aircraft, based on the British Aerospace Hawk, typically can fly higher than 42,000 ft...." [QUE?]
U.S. Navy Further Limits T-45 Flying To 5,000 ft. | Defense content from Aviation Week
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