WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Navy isn’t moving fast enough to fix the ongoing systemic Physiological Episode (PE) issues that have plagued fighter and trainer-pilots and flight students, according to some members on the House Armed Services Committee. The number of PEs has been on the rise over the last 10 years. The Navy was forced to deal with the issue in April 2017, when a group of more than 100 pilot-instructors – from Naval Air Stations Meridian, Miss.; Pensacola, Fla.; and Corpus Christi, Texas - refused to fly the T-45C Goshawk trainers due to safety concerns. Since then, the HASC’s tactical air and land forces subcommittee has held hearings but remains dissatisfied with the progress on solving the problem, Chairman Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio) said Feb. 6. “This should not be a research project. This should be a fix-it project,” he said. In response, the head of the Navy Physiological Episode Action Team (PEAT), Rear Adm. Sara Joyner, told the subcommittee that Navy has brought its T-45 trainer fleet back to full pilot production levels with the installation of CRU-123 solid-state oxygen monitoring units. The units alert the aircrew if oxygen pressure falls and allows them more time to take corrective action to prevent a PE. Yet, the Navy is still wrestling with PE issues with F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet jets, and the EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft. (Source: USNI News 02/06/18)
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Irritation over PE probe; T-45 fixes
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Navy isn’t moving fast enough to fix the ongoing systemic Physiological Episode (PE) issues that have plagued fighter and trainer-pilots and flight students, according to some members on the House Armed Services Committee. The number of PEs has been on the rise over the last 10 years. The Navy was forced to deal with the issue in April 2017, when a group of more than 100 pilot-instructors – from Naval Air Stations Meridian, Miss.; Pensacola, Fla.; and Corpus Christi, Texas - refused to fly the T-45C Goshawk trainers due to safety concerns. Since then, the HASC’s tactical air and land forces subcommittee has held hearings but remains dissatisfied with the progress on solving the problem, Chairman Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio) said Feb. 6. “This should not be a research project. This should be a fix-it project,” he said. In response, the head of the Navy Physiological Episode Action Team (PEAT), Rear Adm. Sara Joyner, told the subcommittee that Navy has brought its T-45 trainer fleet back to full pilot production levels with the installation of CRU-123 solid-state oxygen monitoring units. The units alert the aircrew if oxygen pressure falls and allows them more time to take corrective action to prevent a PE. Yet, the Navy is still wrestling with PE issues with F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet jets, and the EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft. (Source: USNI News 02/06/18)
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