Air Force Pilots Research Articles

Neck Muscle Strain in Air Force Pilots Wearing Night Vision Goggles.

Flight-induced neck pain is common in high performance jet pilots, with incidents frequently attributed to high Gz flight maneuvers. The additional load of helmet-mounted night vision goggles (NVG) is believed to increase the risk, possibly from neck muscle strain in counteracting muscles. Hence, the aim was to investigate the effect of NVG on neck muscle strain as well as on the activity level distribution through a simulated flight session in air force pilots. In this post hoc randomized crossover trial, four senior air force pilots each completed two identical 1.5-h dynamic flight simulations in a human centrifuge: one with a standard helmet and NVG, and one with a standard helmet only. Simulations included repeated exposure to 3-7 Gz, during which neck muscle activity was recorded bilaterally from the anterior neck, the upper and lower posterior neck, and the upper shoulders. The number of muscle activities surpassing 50% of maximum voluntary electrical activity (MVE) and total time of activity at each MVE percentile were compared between NVG and control flights. There was no overall effect in number of neck strain activities between NVG and control flights; however, significantly more activities emerged in the anterior neck. In addition, MVE percentile data showed a tendency of higher activity in the lower posterior neck during NVG flights. The results showed that the additional load of helmet-mounted NVG increases neck muscle strain in anterior stabilizing muscles, indicating that the inertia of head-worn NVG elevates the risk of flight-related neck pain. Pousette MW, Lo Martire R, Linder J, Kristoffersson M, Äng BO. Neck muscle strain in air force pilots wearing night vision goggles. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(11):928-932.

Compilation of Cognitive and Personality Norms for Military Aviators.

The assessment of individuals on abilities or other characteristics is based on comparison to a representative sample. General population norms provide an appropriate reference group when the distribution of scores in the sample can be expected to be similar to those for the general population (e.g., comparing high school students at a particular school to national high school norms on a college entrance test). Specialized norms are needed, however, when subsets of the population differ from the population at large. Military pilot trainees represent a special population; they are highly screened on cognitive ability and other characteristics thought to be related to job performance. Other characteristics (e.g., personality) are thought to be "self-selected," resulting in distinctive profiles. Normative tables were developed for U.S. Air Force pilot trainees for two widely used tests, the Multidimensional Aptitude Battery-II (MAB-II) and NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO PI-R). The MAB-II and NEO PI-R were administered to large samples of USAF cadets, ROTC students, and officers selected for pilot training. The mean MAB-II full-scale IQ was about 1.5 SD above the adult population norm and was much less variable, supporting the need for specialized norms. Tables showing the percentile equivalents are provided for use by clinicians. Use of these tables, in addition to, or in lieu of, commercially published norms, will prove helpful when clinical psychologists perform assessments on pilots; in particular when evaluating them for return-to-duty status following a disqualifying condition that may have affected cognitive functioning or emotional stability. Carretta TR, King RE, Ree MJ, Teachout MS, Barto E. Compilation of cognitive and personality norms for military aviators. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(9):764-771.

Gastrointestinal Disease in Pilots, 2001-2013.

The frequency and distribution of gastrointestinal (GI) disease in the population of active duty Air Force pilots is poorly understood, even though GI illness can temporarily or permanently lead to disqualification from flying duties. Better understanding of GI disease within this population could yield considerable operational risk and human performance insight and provide data to use in assessing the effectiveness of current medical standards related to flight training and flying duties. A dataset reflecting inpatient and outpatient healthcare visits from 2001 through 2013 was developed and reviewed. Gastrointestinal illness was grouped into 18 subcategories of disease, and the frequency and distribution of visits for these categories were tallied. The total burden of GI illness over the target dates was compared between pilots, nonpilot aircrew/special operational duty personnel, and nonaircrew/nonspecial duty personnel. Esophageal disease and dyspeptic conditions were the two most frequently encountered diagnoses among all three population groups, comprising almost 50% of the gastrointestinal diagnoses in age and gender-matched samples of all three populations. The overall burden of disease over the total timeframe of the study was not statistically different in the three populations, with a median of four encounters per person for GI disease. Of interest, the total burden of disease increased over the course of the study period in all populations, driven in large measure by increases in esophageal disease and dyspeptic conditions. The general distribution and overall burden of GI disease in populations of Air Force pilots, nonpilot aircrew/special operational duty personnel, and nonaircrew/nonspecial duty personnel were similar. The increase in esophageal and dyspeptic conditions over time warrants further attention.

Effects of Smoking on Pilots of Bangladesh Air Force in Dhaka Area

Introduction: Smokers have a high morbidity and mortality rate and the causes of excess morbidity and mortality include lung cancer, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and cor pulmonale. An estimated 100 million people died in the 20th century from tobacco-associated diseases. Smoking also affects the performance and cause physical deterioration of pilots.
 Objectives: To evaluate the effects of smoking on pilots of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF), Dhaka area.
 Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted during the period of January to June 2014 among the available pilots of different age and ranks of 6 flying squadrons of BAF Dhaka area. Data were collected by using a pre-tested semistructured questionnaire distributed among the pilots. Information were also collected from Central Medical Board (CMB), BAF about total number of pilots placed in low medical category and nature of their sickness. Finally chest X-ray and ECG of the pilots were done to find out any respiratory and cardiovascular abnormalities. Data obtained were entered into SPSS version 21.0 for analysis.
 Results: Total 190 pilots were interviewed and among them, 80(42%) were smokers and 110(58%) were non-smokers. Most of the pilots were within the age group of 26-30 years (30%). Out of 80 smoker, 37(46%) smoked for more than 10 years, rest smoked for 10 years and less. Stress was the most common cause of starting smoking (96.3%). Fifty eight (72.5%) pilots agreed that their stamina and physical efficiency decreased due to smoking, 21 (26.3%) experienced breathlessness at high altitude, 26(32.5%) experienced visual disturbance during night flying. Fifty three (66.3%) pilots complained of occasional episode of palpitation along with increase in pulse rate. Thirty one (39%) experienced occasional headache during high altitude flight, 58(72.5%) had heart burn related to smoking. Thirty eight (47.5%) had occasional bouts of cough with sputum and 40(50%) complained of occasional gum bleeding. These pilots also informed that they reported sick several times for headache, heart burn, cough and URTI (Upper Respiratory Tract Infection) and were unfit for flying duties. During January-June 2014, a total of 10 pilots of BAF Dhaka area were placed in low medical category out of them 6 (60%) pilots had smoking habits and suffered from IHD-4 (Ischemic Heart Disease) and HTN-2 (Hypertension). There was statistically significant association between number of the cigarette smoked, period of smoking and physical deterioration of smoker pilots (P<0.05). Those who smoked more than 10 sticks/day and more than 10 years had moderate to severe physical deterioration.
 Conclusion: Smoking adversely affects all systems of human body. It impairs altitude tolerance, early induction of hypoxia, impairment of night vision. It affects autonomic systems and thus impairs all compensatory mechanism needed at higher altitudes. Morbidity and mortality related to smoking have linear relation. Pilots must be indoctrinated not to smoke for the sake of their safety flight, own life, their families and the nation.
 Journal of Armed Forces Medical College Bangladesh Vol.12(1) 2016: 22-27

Lois Lowry: A Giver of Books for Children

Lois Lowry:A Giver of Books for Children Evelyn B. Freeman (bio) For my own grandchildren—and for all those of their generation—I try, through writing, to convey my passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another.) (Lowry, “Biography”) Award-winning author Lois Lowry conveys this theme of connectedness through her more than forty books for children. Her body of work has contributed immeasurably to the field of children’s literature, delighting readers with her unforgettable characters and humorous stories as well as fostering conversation and deep thinking on serious topics. About Lois Lowry Lowry was born on March 20, 1937 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The middle child, she had an older sister, Helen, and a young brother, Jon. She describes herself as “a solitary child who lived in the world of books and my own imagination” (Lowry, “Biography”). Because her father was an army dentist, she moved often during childhood and lived in Japan for a few years. Lowry attended Brown University but interrupted her education after sophomore year to marry a naval officer; they had four children: two boys and two girls. When the family moved to Maine, she attended the University of Southern Maine, where she finished her degree in English literature and pursued graduate work. Lowry wrote professionally for magazines as a freelance journalist before she began writing books for children. During this time, she and her husband divorced in 1977. Lowry has experienced great loss in her life, and these experiences have influenced her writing. Her sister died of cancer at the age of twenty-eight, an incident that provided the basis for her first novel, A Summer to Die, published in 1977. This novel, which sensitively deals with the themes of death and serious illness, received the International Reading Association Children’s Literature Award (given for newly published authors). In 1995, her older son, Grey, an Air Force pilot, died in a plane crash at age thirty-six. Lowry writes about this devastating loss in her memoir, Looking Back (1998) and describes his death as “the saddest day of my life” (167). Then her partner of thirty years, Martin, died in 2011. Today, Lowry is a grandmother and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but continues to spend time at her 1769 farmhouse in Maine. In addition to her renown as a writer, Lowry is also an accomplished photographer and one of her photographs appears on the book jackets of both The Giver (1993) and Messenger (2004). Readers can learn more about Lowry on her website: www.loislowry.com. Her Work Lowry is a prolific and versatile writer whose books span genres, children’s interest and reading levels, and tone. Her two books, honored with the Newbery Medal, are quite different. Number the Stars [End Page 34] (1989) is historical fiction while The Giver (1993) is a dystopian novel. Lowry is at ease writing books that are provocative, provide insight into historical events, or cause laughter and joy. She points out that her “books have varied in content and style. Yet it seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections” (Lowry, “Biography”). Lowry received her first Newbery Medal in 1990 for Number the Stars, the historical novel set in Denmark during World War II and based on the childhood experiences of Lowry’s friend Annelise Platt, to whom she dedicates the book. Told from the perspective of ten-year-old Annemarie, the book introduces readers to both the horrors of the Holocaust and the courage of those involved in the Danish resistance. Annemarie demonstrates strength and determination as she and her family save her best friend Ellen from the Nazis. According to Haley-James, “Lowry takes readers beyond themselves. In none of her books does she succeed in this to a greater extent than in Number the Stars (Houghton), a story in which she makes the abstract concepts of love, commitment, and courage visible and real” (423). The book also received the National Jewish Book Award and The Sydney Taylor Award. Lowry has created unforgettable characters with whom readers can readily...

공군조종사의 직무소진이 안전행동에 미치는 효과와 안전분위기의 조절효과에 관한 연구

Abstract This paper reviewed the effect of job burnout on safety outco mes, and the moderating effect of safety climate in Korean Air Force. The prevalence of burnout i n air force pilots has not been determined and reviewed. It is also unknown whether pilots’ bur nout may affect their safety outcomes(safety action & compliance). The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of burnout and it’s effect on safety outcomes. For cross-sectional survey, 910 questionnaires were sent to p ilots in air force, and 722 questionnaires among them were returned effectively. The questi onnaire was divided into 4 parts examining pilots’ demographic factors, job burnout, safety outc omes, and safety climates. To test and review proposed hypotheses, hierarchical multiple regression an alysis was used. The results of statistical analysis appeared as follow; 1) EE(emotional exhaus tion) and RPA(reduced personal accomplishment) effected negatively on safety action. 2) EE an d RPA effected negatively on safety compliance. 3) EE effected more positively on safety action in higher SS(superior support) group than in lower SS group. 4) RPA effected more positively on safety co mpliance in higher SS(superior support) group than in lower SS group. 5) RPA effected more pos itively on safety action in higher CW(coworker support) group than in lower CW group. Keywords : job burnout, safety outcomes, safety climate, superi or support, coworker support

F. Curtis Michel (1934–2015)

A veteran Air Force pilot who cofounded the Space Science Department at Rice University, Michel contributed to high-energy astrophysics, space plasma physics, and planetary science.

Experiential Teaching in Theory and Practice: An Annotated International Business Transactions Syllabus

In this short piece we provide an interactive, annotated International Business Transactions (IBT) syllabus. The introduction and annotations seek to connect the current discourse on experiential legal education to andragogy — the study of adult learning.In 2013 we set out to re-develop a 3-credit IBT course. We applied various experiential pedagogical methodologies — developed initially to train Israeli air force pilots and later adapted to medical training and grounded in theoretical and empirical education research — to serve in a traditional IBT course. The goal was not only to develop legal skills such as negotiation, contract drafting, and client counseling but more importantly to impart knowledge including legal doctrine, legal theory, and policy considerations through the use of a series of structured, in-class experiences.The piece includes embedded documents as part of the interactive reading experience. It is therefore best viewed in Adobe.

Airdrop Guidance Display Format for Precision Airdrop Application on an Auxiliary Display Equipped Aircraft

Objective: To evaluate a new display format for Airdrop Guidance intended to enhance precision-flight capability for high-altitude single-pass airdrop profiles.Background: Operational military environments are demanding that airdrops are increasingly precise while simultaneously protecting Air Force assets through high-altitude drops. Efforts are underway at the Air Force Research Laboratory to minimize the negative effect of human performance variability on high-altitude airdrop accuracy. Precision guidance to the calculated air release point, as presented through the new display, offers potential reduction in flight performance variability.Method: Four U.S. Air Force pilots, current in the C-17, participated in a within-subjects evaluation of the airdrop guidance display. Each pilot was scheduled to fly a total of 16 trials. The out-the-window scene (presented or blanked) effects were also assessed.Results: Results suggest improved performance over existing methods of airdrop guidance as measured by both aircraft position at green light and the comparison between actual and optimal flightpaths.Conclusion: The airdrop guidance display format, tested for precision flight, could significantly reduce flight performance error associated with high-altitude airdrop missions. Additionally, implementation of the display shows potential for increasing overall airdrop accuracy.

Four-year visual outcomes after photorefractive keratectomy in pilots with low–moderate myopia

BackgroundThe photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is approved for Air Force pilots in several nations. The occupational environments of pilots in the Air Force are unique, including extremely high altitude, low oxygen...

Vetting System for Pilots May Lessen Chances of Germanwings Repeat

Vetting System for Pilots May Lessen Chances of Germanwings Repeat

Cross-sectional study of neck pain and cervical sagittal alignment in air force pilots.

There is a high prevalence of neck pain in air force pilots; however, the causes are not clear and are considered work-related. Kyphotic changes in the cervical spine have been known to cause neck pain. In this study, we investigated the association between neck pain and cervical kyphosis in air force pilots. This is a cross-sectional study of 63 Republic of South Korea Air Force pilots. We examined the C2-7 absolute rotation angle (ARA) using the posterior tangent method and other radiologic parameters on whole spine lateral radiographs. We divided the participants into a neck pain group (N = 32) and no neck pain group (N = 31), and subsequently analyzed the difference in radiographic parameters and clinical data between the two groups. There were no significant differences found in age, body mass index, total flight time, or aerobic or anaerobic exercise between the neck pain and control groups. The fighter pilots had higher 1-yr prevalence of neck pain than nonfighter pilots (84.4% vs. 15.6%). The lower C2-7 ARA (OR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.846, 0.979) and fighter type aircrafts (OR = 3.93, 95% CI 1.104, 13.989) were associated with neck pain. Fighter pilots experienced neck pain more frequently than the nonfighter pilots. Those fighter pilots suffering from neck pain were shown to have more kyphotic changes in the cervical spine than control pilots through evaluation of whole spine lateral radiographs using the posterior tangent method. These key findings suggest that the forces involved in flying a fighter type aircraft may affect cervical alignment and neck pain.

Improving the Selection of Air Force Pilot Candidates Using Latent Trajectories: An Application of Latent Growth Mixture Modeling

Latent growth mixture modeling is a statistical approach that models longitudinal data, grouping individuals who share similar longitudinal data patterns into latent classes. We evaluated the application of this method in a sample of ab initio pilot applicants (N = 297), using longitudinal data collected from a military flight-screening program (where the applicants flew seven required flights), resulting in a final pass–fail outcome. Results showed the existence of a two-class solution (Cluster 1 presented an initially higher performance and contained 75% of the Pass candidates) and the psychomotor coordination and general adaptability showed a significant effect.

Infrared Thermographic Analysis of Craniofacial Muscles in Military Pilots Affected by Bruxism

Due to the physical stresses to which they are subjected, military pilots may experience bruxism, an "oral parafunction." Parafunction can cause masticatory muscle suffering and serious dental, periodontal, and temporomandibular joint damage. The aim of this pilot study was to analyze the temperature distribution in masticatory and upper trapezius muscles in a sample of bruxist air force pilots, to evaluate whether an occlusal splint would be able to induce skin temperature variations in the stomatognathic apparatus using the technology of infrared thermography. A total of 11 male Italian Air Force pilots of high performance aircraft, ages from 27 to 40 yr (mean 34.91 ± 2.15 yr) with 1000-3000 flight hours, were enrolled in the study and analyzed using an infrared camera in order to evaluate the temperature of the masticatory muscles. All the recordings were taken on each subject using the same protocol with and without a temporary occlusal splint. The occlusal splint statistically increased each muscle temperature (0.10-0.20°C) on both the sides of the body. No statistically significant differences were found between the left and right muscles (asymmetries) before or after the wearing of the splint except for the anterior temporalis muscle. No significant improvement or variations in temperature symmetry of this muscle was found after the application of the splint. The use of an occlusal splint could help in increasing muscles temperatures in Air Force pilots with consequent relaxation of their facial muscular system.

SCREENING WITH ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY OR STRESS TESTING IN ASYMPTOMATIC USAF AVIATORS- NOT EFFICACIOUS

The efficacy of cardiac screening programs for individuals in competitive athletics and high-risk occupations such as commercial and military aviation continues to be highly debated. Prior to 2008, all United States Air Force (USAF) pilot applicants underwent screening echocardiography and some form

Gender Differences in Navigational Memory: Pilots vs. Nonpilots

The coding of space as near and far is not only determined by arm-reaching distance, but is also dependent on how the brain represents the extension of the body space. Recent reports suggest that the dissociation between reaching and navigational space is not limited to perception and action but also involves memory systems. It has been reported that gender differences emerged only in adverse learning conditions that required strong spatial ability. In this study we investigated navigational versus reaching memory in air force pilots and a control group without flight experience. We took into account temporal duration (working memory and long-term memory) and focused on working memory, which is considered critical in the gender differences literature. We found no gender effects or flight hour effects in pilots but observed gender effects in working memory (but not in learning and delayed recall) in the nonpilot population (Women's mean = 5.33; SD= 0.90; Men's mean = 5.54; SD= 0.90). We also observed a difference between pilots and nonpilots in the maintenance of on-line reaching information: pilots (mean = 5.85; SD=0.76) were more efficient than nonpilots (mean = 5.21; SD=0.83) and managed this type of information similarly to that concerning navigational space. In the navigational learning phase they also showed better navigational memory (mean = 137.83; SD=5.81) than nonpilots (mean = 126.96; SD=15.81) and were significantly more proficient than the latter group. There is no gender difference in a population of pilots in terms of navigational abilities, while it emerges in a control group without flight experience. We found also that pilots performed better than nonpilots. This study suggests that once selected, male and female pilots do not differ from each other in visuo-spatial abilities and spatial navigation.

Obama Contextualizing Religion and History

Obama Contextualizing Religion and History Emad Awad Abstract In the wake of the burning alive of the Jordanian Air Force Pilot by the ISIS, the US President Barak Obama delivered a speech in the Prayer Breakfast Party where he compared the ISIS gruesome murders to the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades and the slavery in the US. He criticized terrorism being perpetrated in the name of religion. This study seeks to address the power, and rather danger, of contextualizing religion and history as an 'excuse-provision mechanism.' Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/ijpt.v3n1a18

Ambushed by Empathy: George Brant’s Grounded

George Brant’s Grounded explores the ethical complexities of military drone use through the story of an Air Force pilot who, after the birth of her daughter, is re-commissioned to pilot drones over Afghanistan from the Nevada desert. The play reveals the devastating costs of contemporary warfare, as well as the possibility for empathy through systems of global surveillance.

Consistency of the Relations of Cognitive Ability and Personality Traits to Pilot Training Performance

The predictive validity of cognitive ability and personality traits was examined in large samples of U.S. Air Force pilot trainees. Criterion data were collected between 1995 and 2008 from 4 training bases across 3 training tracks. Analyses also examined consistency in pilot aptitude and training outcomes. Results were consistent with previous research indicating cognitive ability is the best predictor of pilot training performance. There were few differences across training tracks, bases, and years, and none was large. Overall, results illustrated the consistency of the quality of pilot trainees as assessed by cognitive ability and personality trait measures, and the consistency of these measures in predicting training performance over time. This consistency results in a more stable training system, enabling greater efficiency and effectiveness.

Parameters Associated with Elevated Systolic Blood Pressure Levels in Greek Military Pilots

Background: Elevated blood pressure levels (BP) continue to comprise one of the most important public health problems worldwide. Hypertension is among the most serious risk factors that relates to myocardial infarction, stroke and kidney failure. The purpose of the study was to examine factors that may contribute to presentation of hypertension in military jet pilots. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 300 jet pilots of Greek Air-Force. Several data were retrieved from medical files. Participants filled in a questionnaire about demographics, dietary habits and lifestyle factors. Arterial BP was also measured. Spearman’s r was used for correlations. Also, multivariate linear regression analysis was performed. Results: All pilots presented systolic and diastolic BP within normal range (mean: 117.5 mmHg and 77.0 mmHg, respectively). 200 pilots presented optimal BP, 80 normal BP and 20 had marginally normal BP. Most pilots were exercising up to two times weekly (66.9%), however, some reported they didn’t exercise at all (12%) and mentioned exercising for a mean period of 12.0 (±7.6) years, mainly (62.1%) outdoors with aerobic (52.4%), anaerobic exercises (5.6%) or both (42%). Factors that influenced systolic BP levels were body mass index, flight hours, HDL values and exercise intensity. Conclusion: Pilots’ medical monitoring seems adequate since there weren’t any abnormal BP values. Emphasis should be placed on the continuation of programs already in place with further refinement according to specific needs. Smoking cessation interventions are needed as well as promotion of measures that can effectively lead to long standing life-style changes and dietary modifications.