Exposure to such extremes in the aviation environment impairs the efficiency of aircrews and adds to other stresses such as hypoxia and fatigue. Extreme climates can cause uncomfortable or unbearable cockpit conditions. Likewise, atmospheric temperature or altitude changes, aircraft interior ventilation and heating, and protective equipment can also create temperature extremes. At times, aircrew members may have thought that the temperature inside their aircraft resembled that of a flying oven. Army aviation usually takes place at the relatively low altitudes that are associated with extremely high temperatures and humidity.
Heat can seriously hamper mission requirements to accomplish complex tasks.
In Army aviation, the potential for heat-stress problems is always present, not only because of unit locations but also because of Army aircraft construction. During the flight, the aircraft structure is heated by friction between its surface and the air and by the rise in temperature caused by air compression in the front of the aircraft. Insulation in the cockpit and cabin air ductwork can reduce the effects of kinetic heating. The temperatures in cockpits of aircraft parked on airfield ramps may be 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit higher than those in hangars because of the radiation of solar heating through transparent surfaces. This radiation, in turn, heats the interior objects of the cockpit.