Decompression experience?
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Northern England
Decompression experience?
I have heard there is a "high altitude course" run by the RAF and that this is available to paying punters. This involves losing conciousness in a decompression chamber, and all that. Possibly done at RAF Church Fenton. Can anyone enlighten me further?
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: United Kingdom
Sounds like teh sort of thing Institute of Aero Medicine would be responsible for. Think they are still based out of Farnboro.. .. .The Yanks offer a course on the effects of hypoxia in Oklahoma City. The Canadians (I think) may still have a facility in Toronto.. .. .Suggest that you search the web using appropriate key words or try the medical forum of PPRune rather than wannabees.
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Up North
RAF Decompression chambers used to be at RAF North Luffenham AMTC (Aviation Medical Training Centre) this unit is now closed and along with IAM (Institute of Aviation Medicine which was base at Farnborough) is now at RAF Henlow and called CAM (Centre for Aviation Medicine). However I have serious doubts that they would decompress you for fun.
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: United Kingdom
yeah , i agree with papercut , i remember seeing a video a few years back , American i think (70's or 80's), where they studied the effects of decompression and hypoxia . they put people in a chamber and did decomprssions , they then did certain mental exersizes with these folk . I believe that all the people involved have now suffered serious brain damage or have passed away ( due to starvation of oxygen to the brain during the tests ). so i certainly wouldn't want to do it for fun !!!
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13
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From: United Kingdom
yeah , i agree with papercut , i remember seeing a video a few years back , American i think (70's or 80's), where they studied the effects of decompression and hypoxia . they put people in a chamber and did decomprssions , they then did certain mental exersizes with these folk . I believe that all the people involved have now suffered serious brain damage or have passed away ( due to starvation of oxygen to the brain during the tests ). so i certainly wouldn't want to do it for fun !!!
Joined: Jun 2001
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From: due south
Agree with Ham Phisted, rubbish.. .. .I was just one of many hundreds, maybe thousands, who did the standard RAF decompression test back in the fifties.. .. .Plenty of us still around, and to the best of my knowledge no one suffered any ill effects.
Joined: May 2001
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From: Walnut Creek,CA,USA
I did the "physiological flight training course" at Edwards AFB several years ago in preperation for a skydive from 30,000ft. I would recomend it to anyone who is serious about flying. Until you have experienced hypoxia for yourself it is hard to comprehend how dangerous it is and hard it is to tell that you have it. On the course we did the following:. .. .Chamber ride to 24K to observe symptoms of hypoxia. . .. .We were supposed to wait until we observed one or more physical symptoms and then start breathing oxygen. Even though this was a training course and the whole point of the excercise was to become hypoxic several people didn'y put their masks on in time and started spacing out.. .. .A demonstration of how bad night vision is at altitude without oxygen. . .. .Above 7,000ft night vision and the ability to distinguish colors is severely degraded if you aren't on oxygen.. .. .Depressurisation. .. .We were depressurized from 7000ft to 24,000ft in about 3 seconds. Two notable things: In the event of a rapid depressuriasation you will start to exhale even if you were inhaling as the air in your lungs expands. Also expect all the water vapor to condense into fog and then dissapate a few seconds later.. .. .As for long term harm - there's a big difference between taking people to the onset of hypoxia at 24,000ft and allowing them to be hypoxic for prolonged periods of time at 30,000.. .. .theRolfe
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Grobelling through the murk to the sunshine above.
All RAF aircrew have to undergo aviation medicine training every 5 yrs at the CAM (Henlow), sometimes this training includes experiencing decompression, depending upon the specific role of the aircrew involved, and the mood of the instructors. They do not, however starve you of oxygen until unconsciousness, merely long enough to notice the effects.. .. .I have no idea whether or not they offer courses to paying guests, but it's not at all out of the question. Have a look at the RAF website to see if there's any contact details.
Joined: Mar 2001
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QinetiQ, formerly DERA (Defence Evaluation and Research Agency), can provide a hypoxia experience in their hypobaric facility at Farnborough. (They also have a facility at Boscombe Down which has been used for this).. .. .Contact one of their aviation medicine specialists, Dr Mike Glanfield, by e-mail for more details.. .. .His e-mail is [email protected].
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: UK
Did the decompression chamber at AMTC North Luffenham many moons ago whilst with a UAS. Good experience but I'd need a real good reason to pay for it.. .. .I agree with Henry & Ham. I've never heard of any problems after going through the chamber. In fact... my spelling and drawing improved dramatically!!!
