Air Force flight surgeon evaluates F-18 PEs

An Air Force flight surgeon working with NASA recently flew several flights in Navy F-18s to evaluate their PE incidents, and made some interesting observations. Col Jay Flottman is a qualified fighter pilot and flight surgeon, who was involved in the F-22 PE investigation. He has experience with F-15s, F-22s and T-38s.

He recently made three flights in Navy F-18s, one in a D model Hornet with LOX, and two in F models with OBOGS. The sample size isn't big enough to say he's right, but his evaluations included everything from not leak checking the mask before takeoff, to pilots not using the anti G strain maneuver properly, or at all.

aviationweek.com...