AF testing new sensors for hypoxia

LEBOURGET, France - The Air Force has begun experimenting with a few new sensors made by a company in the U.K. that could offer clues about the causes of recent cases of hypoxia-like systems reported by F-35 pilots. The sensors may be able to determine what’s prompting pilots to feel ill in flight while plugged into the on-board oxygen system. But, finding a cause(s) resembles putting together a “mosaic of events,” Julian Hellebrand, president of the Cobham's mission systems sector, said in an interview at the Paris Air Show. The Cobham company's sensor kit tests composition of air flowing into and out of a pilot's mask. Engineers believe data at those two points can be aggregated and analyzed to pinpoint problems. Hellebrand said the U.S. Air Force and Navy had shown great interest in the technology. Luke AFB, Ariz., had extended a standdown of F-35 flight operations after five pilots complained about hypoxia-like symptoms in early June. However, on June 19, Luke's 56th Fighter Wing announced plans to resume F-35A flight operations, officials said. The Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio has received three inhalation sensors, with five more planned for late August, and eight more to follow, according to the U.K. firm. The onboard oxygen-generation systems in F-35s are made by Honeywell. (Source: Defense News 06/19/17) Gulf Coast Note: The Navy has had similar incidents with the T-45C trainer flown at Naval Air Stations Meridian, Miss.; Pensacola, Fla.; and Kingsville, Texas.