Because of my own bad experiences with directed energy, I would rule out suffocation via directed energy weapon (DEW) attack first. It MAY be possible (I reiterate that I am HYPOTHESIZING here) that pilots could be suffocated view DEW beam from a satellite or other craft in the air or in space. It's just something to rule out.
If DEW attack is ruled out, then wouldn't you want to put in place a failover system for oxygen generation anyway? The news article reports the use of a pulse oxymetry system. In addition to that, what they should do is to put a small tank of oxygen onboard (say 15-20 minutes' worth—it wouldn't weight that much), and mount a cannula from the tank to one of the pilot's nostrils. I imagine it wouldn't be too great a feat to pair such an oxygen failover system with the existing mask for generated oxygen delivery. When pulse oxymetry reports low oxygen, the pilot would get not only an alarm, but an automatic switchover to the tank oxygen so at least the pilot could have enough oxygen to safely land the plane.
They tested their blood and found extreme levels of hydrogen and other issues. The symptoms from severe hypoxia at those levels is similar to the bends, just not quite as deadly. I know this only because I was an F-22 spec for 6 years. The OBOGS is a bit faulty, and the fix for the solution was like placing a bandaid on a sucking chest wound.
Easy solution: Expedite delivery of UCAVs (unmanned combat aerial vehicles) and get rid of these jets. Everyone in aviation knows pilots have been the limfac in pushing the envelope for decades now. Save weight and increase performance/maneuverability by removing pilots from the equation. Added bonus: UCAVs don't blow whistles.
I spent 40 years around the Air Force, There's always someone around who think hair rules are more importent than the safety of aircraft, crews and people on the ground these airplanes are flying over. If you can't deal with life and death issues lets complain about hair. Focus!!!
I love the story and think the two guys have a set of onions for doing what they did. Many times whistleblowers seem like disgruntled ex employees who have an ax to grind. The only thing that bothered me in this story was that nobody ever covered what company built the plane for our government and what they are doing about this. If Boeing or whomever built it... built it wrong... why is the Air Force having to bring in NASA, etc. Why isn't the manufacturer that our government paid millions or billions in contracts being forced to fix their faulty product?
The problem with the pilots not getting enough oxygen may be simpler than it seems. Since the oxygen supply is coming from the outside intake it might simply be a case of a vacuum being created as the plane flies at high speed and long flights and not enough air intake is coming in. Just makes sense to me and I think in simple terms.
The Military 'brass' is always under intense pressure from contractors AND SOME politicians to keep any defects out of the 'limelight'. Whenever you have these huge sums of money involved, people's lives-- even valuable pilots-- become secondary. Eisenhower warned us to 'beware the military-industrial complex.
Whistle-blowers in the Military culture are viewed with disdain as "rats" -- one of the first 'unofficial' things I was taught in boot-camp.(You DON"T go outside the chain-of-command, period) I commend these pilots for being brave enough to buck the culture, and come forward. There is obviously SOMETHING serious going on with this-- and it needs investigation.
The F-18 was the newest thing on the deck when I retired from the Navy and it used LOX. What tactical aircraft uses this oxygen generator? The reason I ask, tactical aircraft ops require you to wear your mask when in the air, which means you are only breathing what the generator puts out. In non-tactical aircraft the mask is not required.
This is of no surprise to me. The Air Force is interested in one thing, and unfortunately it is not their own people. It has always been this way and always will be. I know first hand about this type of problem as it mirrors a flight characteristic problem in an airframe I flew in the 90's. They forced us to fly as well and used threats. I left the AF and never looked back. God bless these raptor pilots, and I wish them well.
Is Gen. Hostage regularly piloting an F22 himself? If not, he should be. Perhaps first-hand experience with fuzzy thinking in the air would result in clearer thinking on the ground.
The oxygen generation system on the F-22 is nearly identical to what has been used on other airplanes since the late 70's. This is what makes it a real problem. There is nothing unique that should be causing the problem.
The F-18 was the newest thing on the deck when I retired from the Navy and it used LOX. What tactical aircraft uses this oxygen generator? The reason I ask, tactical aircraft ops require you to wear your mask when in the air, which means you are only breathing what the generator puts out. In non-tactical aircraft the mask is not required.
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If DEW attack is ruled out, then wouldn't you want to put in place a failover system for oxygen generation anyway? The news article reports the use of a pulse oxymetry system. In addition to that, what they should do is to put a small tank of oxygen onboard (say 15-20 minutes' worth—it wouldn't weight that much), and mount a cannula from the tank to one of the pilot's nostrils. I imagine it wouldn't be too great a feat to pair such an oxygen failover system with the existing mask for generated oxygen delivery. When pulse oxymetry reports low oxygen, the pilot would get not only an alarm, but an automatic switchover to the tank oxygen so at least the pilot could have enough oxygen to safely land the plane.
Jack.
http://www.h-net.org/~hst306/documents/indust.html
Whistle-blowers in the Military culture are viewed with disdain as "rats" -- one of the first 'unofficial' things I was taught in boot-camp.(You DON"T go outside the chain-of-command, period) I commend these pilots for being brave enough to buck the culture, and come forward.
There is obviously SOMETHING serious going on with this-- and it needs investigation.