TACAIR sub tackling PE issues

The Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittee of the U.S. House’s Armed Services Committee is taking steps, in its section of the FY 2019 annual defense policy bill, to address physiological episodes (PEs) that have hit the Air Force and Navy pilots, according to an HASC staffer. Navy pilots of F/A-18 Super Hornets and T-45C jet trainers have been reporting unexplained incidents of hypoxia – body is deprived of oxygen at the tissue level. The AF has had similar issues with its fifth-generation F-35A and T-6A jet trainers. There have been unexplained incidents of disorientation, and hypocapnia and hypercapnia - abnormally low and high levels, respectively, of carbon dioxide in the blood. The subcommittee's portion of the defense authorization has provisions related to PEs: Modifications to new Hornets; and requiring a report from the Navy on modifications to the T–45C trainer. A final provision would require the AF to submit a report to Congress of all efforts to reduce the risk and occurrences of PEs in F–35A fighters and T-6A trainers. The subcommittee was to consider its portion of the NDAA at a markup at 12:30 p.m. (ET) today (April 26). (Source: The Hill 04/25/18) Gulf Coast Note: Navy T-45C training is conducted at NAS Meridian, Miss.; NAS Pensacola, Fla.; and NAS Kingsville, Texas. Instructor pilot training in the T-6A is currently based at Columbus AFB, Miss.