Mental decline in high-flying military pilots

[UMichfly]

Another Det?? You mean you guys got to go somewhere and fly your asses off and get per diem and such?

I heard these types of events used to happen in the Navy....

They still do happen in the Navy. You just have to have a front office that's creative enough to convince the Air Force to pay for your dets. ;-)

 

[Renegade One]

They still do happen in the Navy. You just have to have a front office that's creative enough to convince the Air Force to pay for your dets. ;-)

"Wait a second, I've got an idea. Is there something that I have in this office that I could hand to you, and that would make you kind of forget that you're holding those, uh, [no Navy funding] tickets there?" ~Sidney Bernstein

 

[Navy Ship]

Really? Tell them Huggy says hi.
FYI: the U-2 single-seat fleet (minus the two NASA jets) just completed a cockpit pressurization mod this past July All U-2S aircraft now have a cabin altitude of 14,700' (instead of 29,000') when at FL700. Physiologists predict that decompression sickness (DCS) will be a thing of the past in the U-2.

Thanks for all the info Huggy. Glad to know that you're clear.

This study was completed on U-2 pilots / divers. But they haven't tested pilots from all the other airframes. So how did they pin the cause of the lesions to be cockpit pressurization. Should this issue be a concern for pilots in general?

 

[BusyBee604]

I wouldn't give up my time in the Navy with people like Corkyboy, Derf, BzB, Ron or A4s for anything. Worked hard and played hard. Bring on another Yuma det.

Yup, one of the events that I have really missed since retirement!

Another Det?? You mean you guys got to go somewhere and fly your asses off and get per diem and such?

I heard these types of events used to happen in the Navy....

Well, if lucky, maybe two (per diem) dets /yr. fleet, 3-4 p/y FRS IP; unlike the VP 24/7/365 per diem!
BzB

 

[BigBadBoJenkins]

FL700, yeesh

 

[brownshoe]

Another Det?? You mean you guys got to go somewhere and fly your asses off and get per diem and such?

I heard these types of events used to happen in the Navy....

Yep! As many as an E could handle. Per diem, and even flight deck pay (when at sea) not to mention the 'Yuma Yummies' bused in to the club on Saturday nights from in town (and the San Luis trips hubba-hubba).

 

[Renegade One]

Just to try and steer some great conversations back on topic for the OP:

Didn't we always assume that alcohol would wreak its havoc long before altitude exposure? Frankly, I'm not sure how valid the collected data may be in view of the "test subjects' " pre-disposition towards consuming ETOH…in large quantities.

 

[Catmando]

I am not sure I could even live through another Det...... but it sure would be fun to try.
Of course if I lived, my wife would shoot me anyways upon my return. Mox nix!
Guess I'll have to just live with a plethora of great but foggy memories.

 

[Renegade One]

I am not sure I could even live through another Det...... but it sure would be fun to try...Of course if I lived, my wife would shoot me anyways upon my return….

Death by Yuma Det…such a waste…after all that great food at Chretin's...

Guess I'll have to just live with a plethora of great but foggy memories.

Altitude or alcohol induced? No shit…there are actual studies being conducted about this. Your data s important to us!

 

[Catmando]

Death by Yuma Det…such a waste…after all that great food at Chretin's...

Altitude or alcohol induced? No shit…there are actual studies being conducted about this. Your data s important to us!

Along with altitude and alcohol, mach speed and excessive Gs - and trying to set the nacho record at Cretins - I also used to smoke Marlboros on nearly every flight in F-4s.

But I really think what may have caused my alleged "mental decline" early on, were females. (Too much of a good seemingly good thing, and more than I ever needed... before I was later married, of course .)

 

[Machine]

What I thought was interesting is that the guy running the study got brain lesions and reduced mental aptitude after just one high flight.

 

[Renegade One]

What I thought was interesting is that the guy running the study got brain lesions and reduced mental aptitude after just one high flight.

Hey…it was a data point. Probably had them diagnosed earlier, but now…the government's fault?

That's just wrong of me on so many levels, I know...

 

[Renegade One]

Along with altitude and alcohol, mach speed and excessive Gs - and trying to set the nacho record at Cretins - I also used to smoke Marlboros on nearly every flight in F-4s.

But I really think what may have caused my alleged "mental decline" early on, were females. (Too much of a good seemingly good thing, and more than I ever needed... before I was later married, of course .)
View attachment 13106

I totally understand why you married her. Nice!

 

[Fallonflyr]

Along with altitude and alcohol, mach speed and excessive Gs - and trying to set the nacho record at Cretins - I also used to smoke Marlboros on nearly every flight in F-4s.

But I really think what may have caused my alleged "mental decline" early on, were females. (Too much of a good seemingly good thing, and more than I ever needed... before I was later married, of course .)

View attachment 13105 View attachment 13106

Nachos and tacos.....yum,yum.

 

[sevenhelmet]

I bet if I tried to sue the Navy for my "mental decline", that would clear up this "science" real quick.