THE NEW REVOLUTION IN HYPOXIA SIMULATION TRAINING

Hypoxia continues to be a significant safety concern in avaition. Additionally, it continues to be cited as a causal factor in mishaps costing both lives and dollars. Both rapid and insidious decompressions are documented regularly in all areas of aviation where pressurized aircraft are flown. Training is important to allow pilots to recognize the signs and symptoms of hypoxia and treat them immediately by going on 100% oxygen. An increase in aviation activity just prior to WWII caused more attention to be given to high altitude flight. Hypoxia training has save many lives in general, commercial and military aviation but until now has not changed significantly since WWII. The focal point of this training has been the altitude chamber or low-pressure chamber. The demonstrations used in the altitude chamber have not changed since the training began. This training comes with some risk of both barotrama and decompression sickness and has never been completely accepted by the aviation community. Additionally, this training has not been readily available in the commercial and general aviation. Altitude chamber training is expensive to conduct and does not provide high fidelity training.

The U. S. Navy in conjunction with Environics, Inc. has developed the ROBD2, which provides a gas mixing solution to simulate altitudes between 0 and 34,000 feet. This device in combination with a simulator provides high fidelity training that has been proven so effective in hypoxia training. The pilot is seated in the simulator and provided with normal flight tasks while breathing off the ROBD2. Flight profiles and desired cockpit pressurization levels are programmed into the simulator and ROBD2 respectively. This simulated altitude is delivered thru a standard aviation mask. The ROBD2 has the capability to be programmed to simulate either rapid or insidious loss of pressurization. The ROBD2 can be incorporated into any part task training to simulate the duties of any fight position.

The U.S. Navy as a substitute for altitude chamber training is conducting ROBD2 training. The same training is now available for commercial aviation. The ROBD2 is available for purchase from Environics, Inc. for those flight-training facilities who wish to add hypoxia training. Human Systems Solutions, Inc. provides training for companies and government aviation organizations that purchase ROBD2s and require training for their instructors. Operator training for the ROBD2 is also available from Environics, Inc. either on site or at their production facility.

The ROBD2 provides the best solution for providing just in time effective hypoxia and aviation physiology training available today.