D_C71
Filing Flight Plan
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2009
- Messages
- 21
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D_C
Hello All. New member, First Post...
In September 2007, I completed the CAMI Physiological Training (Altitude Chamber) at Beale AFB, California (received my little blue card for completion.) It was an interesting experience and I got to stay in base housing, for like $35 for the night before the training.
It was also interesting to be at the home-base of the U2 and former SR71 spy planes, see the pressure-suits, crews, etc.
Everything basically went Ok, except that I found it really, really hard to get comfortable breathing through the face-mask. Seemed like all I could do, or really concentrate on, was each-and-every breath.
It was like breathing through a straw, with your nose pinched-off. Everyone else in the chamber seemed to be doing just fine and relaxed. I was using the Pressure-Demand (forces air into your lungs when you flip the console switch) just to get by. Every single breath was an event (required thought and effort.)
Didn't seem right; Shouldn't the "Normal" setting have been enough?
After the chamber ride, I asked the AF crew there if they could check/test my mask and equipment. They said it checked out as Ok.
Yesterday (when I joined) I read Tristar (Tristan's) CAMI post, and saw this quote in one of her replies:
Would there have been sufficient Oxygen delivered in the "Normal" mode, but due to the lower VOLUME of gas delivered to the mask ("Oxygen Only," versus normal "Air" at roughly 80% Nitrogen and around 20% Oxygen) the cause of the difficulty I experienced?
Perhaps I was just having a bad day breathing? At the time, it really had me concerned and (as you can probably tell) still does.
Had me also wondering, is there any common, civilian training available to get someone comfortable and/or educated in the proper use of the mask, pressure-type mask system?
Does anyone know about this or have any advice? As I said, it still has me concerned.
Thanks.
D_C
In September 2007, I completed the CAMI Physiological Training (Altitude Chamber) at Beale AFB, California (received my little blue card for completion.) It was an interesting experience and I got to stay in base housing, for like $35 for the night before the training.
It was also interesting to be at the home-base of the U2 and former SR71 spy planes, see the pressure-suits, crews, etc.
Everything basically went Ok, except that I found it really, really hard to get comfortable breathing through the face-mask. Seemed like all I could do, or really concentrate on, was each-and-every breath.
It was like breathing through a straw, with your nose pinched-off. Everyone else in the chamber seemed to be doing just fine and relaxed. I was using the Pressure-Demand (forces air into your lungs when you flip the console switch) just to get by. Every single breath was an event (required thought and effort.)
Didn't seem right; Shouldn't the "Normal" setting have been enough?
After the chamber ride, I asked the AF crew there if they could check/test my mask and equipment. They said it checked out as Ok.
Yesterday (when I joined) I read Tristar (Tristan's) CAMI post, and saw this quote in one of her replies:
At Beale AFB, (as best I recall) they never encouraged us to use the "Emergency" or "Pressure-Demand" button (except to try it out/experience it,) but not use it frequently or in place of the "Normal" setting.I read in my Jeppesen Instrument/Commercial Textbook, that with regard to the Pressure-Demand system (for use above 40,000 feet,):Kent, I am unfamiliar with your oxygen system, but the system we used had three settings; emergency, normal, and off.
I had trouble with the normal system, since I encountered the same thing you did. I had to breath really hard to inhale much oxygen, so I could see how it would impede concentration.
However, the emergency setting forces oxygen into your lungs which you will also hear in some of the altitude chamber videos by the low freq. rumbling noise. Although, noisy, it's much easier to breath.
Tristar
All this had me wondering...., was my difficulty in breathing (more or less) just in my mind?"Because the oxygen is delivered at a positive pressure, you need to receive special training to develop proper respiration techniques before using this system."
Would there have been sufficient Oxygen delivered in the "Normal" mode, but due to the lower VOLUME of gas delivered to the mask ("Oxygen Only," versus normal "Air" at roughly 80% Nitrogen and around 20% Oxygen) the cause of the difficulty I experienced?
Perhaps I was just having a bad day breathing? At the time, it really had me concerned and (as you can probably tell) still does.
Had me also wondering, is there any common, civilian training available to get someone comfortable and/or educated in the proper use of the mask, pressure-type mask system?
Does anyone know about this or have any advice? As I said, it still has me concerned.
Thanks.
D_C