High Altitude Training at Shaw Air Force Base

The Australian team traveled to Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina to get certified to fly into the stratosphere (41,000 feet). The KAO flies into the stratosphere to get above most of the water vapor in our atmosphere.

When the KAO flies above 41,000 feet all personnel on board must have been through high altitude training. This was a little scary. We had in class training and then went into the chamber at the air base. The chamber is able to replicate the atmosphere at 41,000 feet. While in the chamber each of us had to remove our oxygen mask and feel how our bodies reacted to a loss of oxygen. Some people want to fight, others pass out, others get giggly, and some get sick. If the KAO would have a decompression problem personnel would have 10 seconds to get to their oxygen mask. This training pointed out the seriousness of being able to participate in this mission.

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