Acceleration tolerance at night with acute fatigue and stimulants.

Introduction: The impact of pharmacological agents on aviators concerns all flight surgeons. This study tested the related hypotheses that acute fatigue reduces +Gz tolerance and endurance, and that stimulants can partially reverse this impact. Additionally, the researchers attempted to develop a test battery sensitive enough to detect subtle differences in aviator cognition and performance among conditions.

Pressure breathing without a counter-pressure vest does not impair acceleration tolerance up to 9 G.

Introduction: This study was to determine whether safe and adequate G-protection by pressure breathing during G (PBG) could be maintained if the COMBAT EDGE counter-pressure vest were eliminated to ensure aircrew do not unnecessarily endure a possible in-flight discomfort or distraction.

Methods: Centrifuge exposures up to +9 Gz were completed by 11 subjects, including 5 F-15 aircrew, using PBG at 60 mmHg pressure with and without the counter-pressure vest. Additional G-exposures using pressures of 0, 30, and 45 mmHg were performed without the vest.

Heat stress effects for USAF anti-G suits with and without a counter-pressure vest.

Background: Aircrew have reported increased heat stress when wearing the USAF Combined Advanced Technology Enhanced Design G-Ensemble or COMBAT EDGE (CE). The perceived thermal burden has been attributed to the fact that CE includes an inflatable counter-pressure vest to ease the work of positive pressure breathing during G (PBG). This study compared the heat load of CE with that of the standard USAF anti-G system (STD) without the vest, and measured heat stress effects on G-tolerance in both suits.