Laughlin’s APU creates new video to be used AF wide

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sara Csurilla
  • 47th Flying Training Wing public affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- --  Every three weeks a new group of students begin Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training and their first stop on their road to becoming a pilot is the 47th Aerospace Physiology Unit here.

During the seven-day course at aerospace physiology, students are trained on a number of things including the physiological effects of altitude on the human body, spatial disorientation, oxygen equipment and ejection seat procedures.

One essential lesson the students learn during the course is the affects of hypoxia, how to identify it and actions the necessary required in order to correct it.

"Hypoxia is the lack of oxygen in the blood stream as a result of breathing in the surrounding air while at high altitudes," said Airman 1st Class Francis Nacapuy, 47th APU technician. "Among many other ways to tell, the most obvious ways to detect hypoxia is bluing of the lips and nail beds, twitching, mental confusion and a state of euphoria."

To demonstrate what a person getting hypoxic looks like within a controlled environment, aerospace instructors use a video.

However, the video currently in use is at least 10 years old.

"The video we have been using is severely outdated," said 2nd. Lt. Elizabeth Combs, aerospace physiology operations officer. "The poor quality of the video made it hard to hear and see and general information like what altitude they were demonstrating at is unknown making it very difficult for us to use it as a training tool. Knowing this video was used to teach students an important lesson; we knew we needed to come up with something new."

So the unit decided to make a new video with better quality and examples of just how quickly hypoxia can affect someone.

"We started working on the video in August but we actually started filming it in December and finished it in January," said Lieutenant Combs. "We had a total of 11 Airmen from our unit filmed inside the chamber as some went hypoxic at 30,000 feet and others at 35,000 feet."

All of the Airmen who demonstrated the affects of hypoxia had never had the opportunity to do it before and one Airman had mixed feelings about the experience.

"The best way for me to describe the experience would be, the lights were on but nobody was home," said Airman Nacapuy. "When I first took my mask off inside the chamber I was all there and I thought I was doing pretty well, but then when I looked back at the video, I became hypoxic and I didn't even remember it happening. That's a really weird feeling but I think it will be a huge benefit for me in the future to have experienced that."

The APU expects the video to have a shelf life of about eight to 10 years and is hoping a lot of people will benefit from this video as much as Laughlin's unit, especially the physiology career field and aircrew all throughout the Air Force, said Lieutenant Combs.

"Going through the approval process and getting all the necessary materials together to make the video was very tiring," said Lieutenant Combs. "But I have a great team behind me. Everyone in the shop pitched in, not only with the actual approval but with the behind the scenes actions as well. I'm very thankful to have such a great group that helped to make this such a success."