Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-09-13
RIGID TESTS FOR AvIAToRS,
Physical and Mental Fitness Must Be
Perfect

More rigid physical tests have been
prescribed Tor ariators OF this
country" writes the Washington cor
respondent Of the New York Medical
Journal. "All men who have won their
wings in the air service now are reQuir-
ed to pass a new heart, lungs. ears and
eye test to establish their physical and
mental fitness when high in the air.
and particularly to indicate at what
heights they are in a condition to fly.
Cadets receive u test before they finish
| their schooling; fliers are given the
tests periodically to eliminate any
whose physical or mental efficiency
has become impaired in any way.
Special Apparatus Devised.
THE prescribed tests are the result
Of study and investigation by the med
ical research laboratory at Hazelhurst
Field. Mineola, Long Island, whose
staff has devised apparatus and deter
mined upon Il standard examination for
classifying pilots.
ITO stay in the rarefied air at an ele-
vation Of 10000 feet for eny length Of
time has been found to be a strain
even upon the most physically perfect.
| 1t also has been discovered that many
Of the most seasoned fiiers cannot un-
dergo the sudden quick changes In
altitude occasioned by diving and
climbing without physical deteriora-
ton. 1t was recognized as too great u
| risk to subject these men In actual fly
ing tests. Therefore the research
laboratory ut Hazelhurst Field under
took TO devise some way Of getting the
same result by means of ground tests
I'm the early tests the pilot was
placed in q sealed alright cylinder
from which the air wcs gradually ex-
hausted and then replaced to simulate
Il flight into the rarefied air Of high al
titudcs and back to earth. but today
the pilot sits comfortably in the samo
room with his examiners. His nose Is
clamped so he cannot breathe through
II. over his mouth is placed the
breathing apparatus. which is connect
ed by tubes with tank OF measured air
and with the instruments trat record
every breath lie takes. The air is ana
lyDed at various stages Of the run. AS
fast as Re exhales, tho air Is taken into
| d FSSoFvoif: E0sFe It iGris6ned u car
bon dioxide and then retprs to the
tank. Gradually he uses up the oxy-
gen, and thus air conditions OF high
attitudes are duplicated.
THE higher one goes up the rarer
the air becomes; just so with tie man
under test, for after q certain time he
has consumed an amount Of oxygen
that leaves the remaining supply just
equal to the oxygen available to GER
tain altitude.
Watched "AII the Way Up."
"All :ne way up 30 to speak. several
specialists watch him: one his heart.
pulse and blood pressure: one his eyes.
the others his responses to signals and
observations. Records Of his pulse and
blood pressure are made every other
minute; the eyes are tested every three
minutes.
"The man under test Is kept feirly
busy, Just as he would be plotting an
airplane. Before him on table Is a
blank of small electric lights, one or
another Of which flashes every five Sec
onds. These he must extinguish as
fast as he observes them and before
they go out. He has but few SEC
onds. Below the lamps is correspond
ing set of buttons. which. with a
pointer held in the right hand. extin-
guishes the respective lights. Two OBJ
servers watch them constantly and
check his errors or delayed actions.