Hypoxia

This post by Instapundit has reminded me that Fighter Pilots and Scuba Divers have something in common: they're both fanatic about their air supply. The disclaimer on the Re-breathing apparatus is enough for me.



There are some differences in what happens when oxygen is scarce, but the outcome is disaster for both.

From my first introduction to military flying, I was indoctrinated in the use of supplimental oxygen. We had to attend "Altitude Chamber" training before we were ever allowed in a plane that could exceed 10,000ft altitude.(the T-37)

This training consisted of two days of classroom activity followed by the "chamber ride" itself. Since then, I got "refresher" rides every three years, for twenty years. This has resulted in an obsessive-compulsive attitude about having enough air to breath.

(When my daughter was born, there was a moment before the docter arrived, when the babies heart beat dropped alarmingly, the umbilicle cord was around her neck. The head nurse instructed her assistant to give the mother oxygen. When the assistant asked her how much oxygen, I blurted out, "A hundred percent!")

The fact is there are no fighter pilots that smoke. It interferes with the hemoglobin. I still have to deal with potential hypoxia in my job today.

Anyone interested in the effects of oxygen deprivation can get an idea of how non-responsive a hypoxic person can be , watch the plight of Jill in this very controlled environment.