AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2015 - 85

flight crews, and astronauts to recognize the
signs of hypoxia. "And, no, my sarcasm isn't
hypoxia-induced. I come by that naturally."
My blood-oxygen level had fallen from
100 percent at sea level to 82 percent after
three minutes at FL240, but I wasn't overly
concerned. In school, 82 percent is still a B.
I did feel a hot spot in the center of my forehead, and I sat particularly still because I
sensed the onset of dizziness.
Then, one of the three other pilots
going through the training said he was
about to faint. The rest of us were told to
strap on our oxygen masks, and I felt a wave
of relief after just two pressurized breaths.
Studying the pencil marks I had made a
few minutes earlier on the maze, I was disappointed to see that they were hopelessly
off the mark. It turns out I hadn't started at
the beginning of the maze, and I exited randomly across a solid line. My marks were

somewhat different, and pilots should
know how to recognize their own individual symptoms," King said. "A headache,
dizziness, or lightheadedness are the most
desirable symptoms because they're easy to
recognize and they typically don't inhibit
pilots from taking appropriate action."
Euphoria, he said, is the worst because
it makes pilots feel like everything is just
fine, and there's no compelling reason to
make a change.
King said an individual's hypoxia
symptoms can change over time, however,
so he recommends revisiting an altitude
chamber every four or five years throughout a pilot's flying career.
The half-day training session at Nastar
carries a retail price of $825. The training at Western Michigan University costs
$375. Both offer discounts for groups, and
the training at both is excellent.

"Everyone's response to hypoxia is somewhat different,
and pilots should know how to recognize their own
individual symptoms." -Glenn King, Nastar instructor
even worse than Landsberg's doodles. Any
5-year-old would have had superior cognitive and fine motor skills.
The altitude in the chamber came down
to 18,000 feet and we removed our masks
again. We sat in darkness for a few minutes
and then attempted to read a color chart
that looked like it was entirely made from
shades of gray. A few breaths of 100-percent oxygen, however, and real vibrant
colors seemed to leap off the page. How
could I not have recognized them?
The altitude came all the way down to
8,000 feet and I felt completely normal,
even without an oxygen mask.
Then the operator demonstrated a
rapid decompression, and the altitude shot
back up to 24,000 feet with a bang, instant
fog, and an involuntary exhalation as the air
in our lungs suddenly expanded.
Back in the classroom, King reviewed
the results from the four pilots who had
been in the chamber.
"Everyone's response to hypoxia is

The Nastar facility has the advantage
of a "hypobaric" chamber, with powerful pumps that allow it to pressurize and
depressurize rapidly, and forced-air oxygen through military-style facemasks with
100-percent oxygen that allow rapid recoveries. The Western Michigan University
program uses a "normobaric" chamber that
separates nitrogen and oxygen molecules to
simulate high-altitude conditions. Its main
advantage is that it's operated by highly
experienced flight surgeons with decades
of real-world experience.
Landsberg, having returned to sealevel sobriety, said the takeaway for him
is obvious.
"Put on the oxygen mask sooner rather
than later," he said. "If there's ever a question, I'm going to get on oxygen right away.
There's nothing to be gained by delaying
this wise course of action-and there may
be a lot to lose."
AOPA
EMAIL dave.hirschman@aopa.org

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2015

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