hi alt oxygen

There is a 'cheat' where one can got to 12 for 30 minutes. But the
brain needs O2 to function properly. With hard training one can
function adequately at higher altitudes.

Pensacola. Low pressure tank. 30,000 feet pressure. Instructor asks for
volunteer. (I tend to do dumb things) I said OK. "Please take this pencil
and write your name on this clipboard." "How many times?" "Don't worry. I'll
tell you when to stop."

Off comes mask. I write and I write and at the 4th perfect signature I stop --
wondering why am I doing this. "Hell, I can do this for the rest of my life."
(30,00 feet. Yeah) Instructor slams mask back on. My vision instantly
changed from looking down a soda straw to wide open, COLOR!, side vision. Wow!
Last signature was a straight line. (Hmmmm. Looked OK at the time.)

At 30K, one has about 4 seconds of useful consciousness -- unless one holds
one's breath. That may net one a couple of seconds more. No pain. No strain.
Quite pleasant. Been there. Done that. Fast and almost fun.

Humans need a constant supply of oxygen and we store almost none. Lack of
oxygen doesn't hurt. What hurts and gives the feeling of strangulation is an
overabundance of carbon dioxide. Want to know what too much CO2 feels like?
Hold your breath for 3-4 minutes.

Throw in a little exhaust gas and the ceiling easily drops to 20K or lower.

Quent

(QDurham) wrote:

There is a 'cheat' where one can got to 12 for 30 minutes. But the
brain needs O2 to function properly. With hard training one can
function adequately at higher altitudes.

Pensacola. Low pressure tank. 30,000 feet pressure. Instructor asks for
volunteer. (I tend to do dumb things) I said OK. "Please take this pencil
and write your name on this clipboard." "How many times?" "Don't worry. I'll
tell you when to stop."

Off comes mask. I write and I write and at the 4th perfect signature I stop --
wondering why am I doing this. "Hell, I can do this for the rest of my life."
(30,00 feet. Yeah) Instructor slams mask back on. My vision instantly
changed from looking down a soda straw to wide open, COLOR!, side vision. Wow!
Last signature was a straight line. (Hmmmm. Looked OK at the time.)

At 30K, one has about 4 seconds of useful consciousness -- unless one holds
one's breath. That may net one a couple of seconds more. No pain. No strain.
Quite pleasant. Been there. Done that. Fast and almost fun.

Humans need a constant supply of oxygen and we store almost none. Lack of
oxygen doesn't hurt. What hurts and gives the feeling of strangulation is an
overabundance of carbon dioxide. Want to know what too much CO2 feels like?
Hold your breath for 3-4 minutes.

Throw in a little exhaust gas and the ceiling easily drops to 20K or lower.

Quent

Yes, this is exactly correct...the Canadian Armed Forces has this
tank setup in Trenton Ontario. The short course is called HAI for
'high altitude indoctrination' and the effects are as Quent
mentions.

In addition to what he says the effects of hypoxia onset versus
altitude is very un linear. The armed Forces mandate oxygen use
above 10,000 ft but you can easily survive for very long periods
at 20,000 while sitting quietly (I've done it) but increase this
altitude by only slightly and bad things start to happen rapidly,
right down to several seconds of consciousness at 30k.
--

-Gord.

Subject: hi alt oxygen
From: "Gord Beaman" )
Date: 3/11/04 10:07 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id: 8o91509jd5cda3kuuemn759

n addition to what he says the effects of hypoxia onset versus
altitude is very un linear. The armed Forces mandate oxygen use
above 10,000 ft but you can easily survive for very long periods
at 20,000 while sitting quietly (I've done it) but increase this

Sure. But you can't operate a bombsight with any degree of accuracy under those
conditions. Keep your mask on. And at night from the ground up.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

In article , ArtKramr
writes
Subject: hi alt oxygen
From: "Gord Beaman" )
Date: 3/11/04 10:07 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id: 8o91509jd5cda3kuuemn759

n addition to what he says the effects of hypoxia onset versus
altitude is very un linear. The armed Forces mandate oxygen use
above 10,000 ft but you can easily survive for very long periods
at 20,000 while sitting quietly (I've done it) but increase this

Sure. But you can't operate a bombsight with any degree of accuracy under those
conditions. Keep your mask on. And at night from the ground up.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer


Just out of interest, Art, did you ever have to use the A-7 mask (and
presumably a throat mike?) or was the A-14 in universal use while you
were operational?

Cheers,

Dave

--
Dave Eadsforth

Subject: hi alt oxygen
From: Dave Eadsforth
Date: 3/11/04 3:51 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

In article , ArtKramr
writes
Subject: hi alt oxygen
From: "Gord Beaman" )
Date: 3/11/04 10:07 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id: 8o91509jd5cda3kuuemn759

n addition to what he says the effects of hypoxia onset versus
altitude is very un linear. The armed Forces mandate oxygen use
above 10,000 ft but you can easily survive for very long periods
at 20,000 while sitting quietly (I've done it) but increase this

Sure. But you can't operate a bombsight with any degree of accuracy under
those
conditions. Keep your mask on. And at night from the ground up.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer


Just out of interest, Art, did you ever have to use the A-7 mask (and
presumably a throat mike?) or was the A-14 in universal use while you
were operational?

Cheers,

Dave

--
Dave Eadsforth


In training at Cadet school we used a mask that had a rubber bag hannging down.
We called it a spit bag. Every few minutes you had to pull the plug from the
bottom of the bag and drain out the saliva. In cold weather it froze and
couldn't be drained. Once we graduated and went to transitional we were used
low pressure demand masks. More comfortable. Besides those early high pressure
systems were given to blowing up if even a minute amount of grease came in
contactwith the oxygen. It was a 1,000 lb/sq/ inch sytem., The later demand
masks worked on a low pressure system and were much safer as well as more
comfortable. Sorry.I don't remember the designations.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

In article , ArtKramr
writes
Subject: hi alt oxygen
From: Dave Eadsforth
Date: 3/11/04 3:51 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:



Just out of interest, Art, did you ever have to use the A-7 mask (and
presumably a throat mike?) or was the A-14 in universal use while you
were operational?

Cheers,

Dave

--
Dave Eadsforth


In training at Cadet school we used a mask that had a rubber bag hannging down.

I guess that that might have been an A-7 or an A-8 - I'm no expert, I
just looked up a few things on the net once this thread started.

We called it a spit bag. Every few minutes you had to pull the plug from the
bottom of the bag and drain out the saliva.

Yuk!

In cold weather it froze and
couldn't be drained.

Now I wonder if a swig of whisky could have solved that?

Once we graduated and went to transitional we were used
low pressure demand masks. More comfortable.

That sounds like the A-14 demand mask

Besides those early high pressure
systems were given to blowing up if even a minute amount of grease came in
contactwith the oxygen.

Charming - and an opportunity for an act of malice...

It was a 1,000 lb/sq/ inch sytem., The later demand
masks worked on a low pressure system and were much safer as well as more
comfortable.

From the photos I have seen it covered almost the whole of the lower
face, which instinctively looks more comfortable than some other types.
I have used the RAF Type H, which edges into the cheeks somewhat, and
when you take it off you look like Homer Simpson.

Sorry.I don't remember the designations.

I only discovered them recently...



Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer


Cheers,

Dave

--
Dave Eadsforth

Subject: hi alt oxygen
From: Dave Eadsforth
Date: 3/12/04 3:25 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

In article , ArtKramr
writes
Subject: hi alt oxygen
From: Dave Eadsforth
Date: 3/11/04 3:51 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:



Just out of interest, Art, did you ever have to use the A-7 mask (and
presumably a throat mike?) or was the A-14 in universal use while you
were operational?

Cheers,

Dave

--
Dave Eadsforth


In training at Cadet school we used a mask that had a rubber bag hannging
down.

I guess that that might have been an A-7 or an A-8 - I'm no expert, I
just looked up a few things on the net once this thread started.

We called it a spit bag. Every few minutes you had to pull the plug from
the
bottom of the bag and drain out the saliva.

Yuk!

In cold weather it froze and
couldn't be drained.

Now I wonder if a swig of whisky could have solved that?

Once we graduated and went to transitional we were used
low pressure demand masks. More comfortable.

That sounds like the A-14 demand mask

Besides those early high pressure
systems were given to blowing up if even a minute amount of grease came in
contactwith the oxygen.

Charming - and an opportunity for an act of malice...

It was a 1,000 lb/sq/ inch sytem., The later demand
masks worked on a low pressure system and were much safer as well as more
comfortable.

From the photos I have seen it covered almost the whole of the lower
face, which instinctively looks more comfortable than some other types.
I have used the RAF Type H, which edges into the cheeks somewhat, and
when you take it off you look like Homer Simpson.

Sorry.I don't remember the designations.

I only discovered them recently...




We could usually open up the frozen spit bag opening by rolling it hard between
our thumb and forefinger until the ice cracked, then blow hard into the mask to
blow the opening clear. What a pain especially if it froze when we were busy.
And it always seemed to freeze when we were busy.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

Dave Eadsforth wrote:


From the photos I have seen it covered almost the whole of the lower
face, which instinctively looks more comfortable than some other types.
I have used the RAF Type H, which edges into the cheeks somewhat, and
when you take it off you look like Homer Simpson.


That was the kind that we wore in the fifties , sixties etc. Sort
of a dark green colour and they had a carbon microphone in them
for the intercom system.
--

-Gord.