The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-20
HOW OUR WINGED MEN
 WIN THE RIGHT TO FLY

AT men who have won their wings in inc United States air service are now required to pass a new heart lung, ear 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 test before they finish their school ing; flierg undergo these tests period- ically to eliminate any whose physi- cal or mental efficiency has become in any way impaired.
 These tests are the result of study and investigation by the medical re- serrch laboratory at Hazelhurst Field Mineola, N. Y, whose staff has devised apparatus and determined upon standard examination for classifying pilots.
 ID stay in the raref1ed air at an ele- vation of 20,G0O feet for any length of time has been found to be a strain on even the most physically perfect. It has also been discovered that many of the most seaaonei f1iers cannot uldego the sudden quick changes in altitude, occasioned by diving and climbing without physical deteriora- ation. It was recognized as too great | a risk to subject these men to actual flying tests. So the medical labora- tory at Hazelhurst Field undertook tc devise some way of getting the same results by means of a ground test.
 1 !n the early tests the pilot was placed in a steel alright cylinder l from which the air was gradually ex- haustei and then replaced to stim- ul@te a flight into the rarefied air of hls' attitudes and back to earth, but today the pilot sits comfortably in the same TCDms with his examiners. His nose is clamped so that he cannot breathe through it. Over his mouth is pl ced the breathing apparatus which is connected by tubes with a tank ii measured air and with in- strrments that record every breath he takes. The air is analysed at var ious stages of the run. As fast as he eHhales the air is taken into a reser-
 voir, where it is cleared of carboI tank. Gradually he uses up the oxy- s7Gll' anu luuS dIT COLHI4llOiS Ol HE
 attitudes are duplicated. The highe
 one goes up the rarer the air becomes just so with the man under test; af ter a certain time he has consumed an amount of oxygen which leave! the remaining supply equal to the oxygen available at a certain altitude
 Time takes the place of height in th'
 test. All the way up," so to speak
 several specialists watch him; one hi
 heart, pulse, and blood pressure, ont
 his eyes, and the others his response
 to signals and observations. Records
 of his pulse and blood pressure ar' made every other minute. The eye
 are tested every three minutes.
 The man under test is kept fairl,
 busy, just as he would be piloting
 plane. Before him on a table is
 bank of small electric lights, one o
 another of which flashes every fiv
 seconds. These he must extinguisl ! as fast he he observes them and be
 fore they go out. He has but a fey
 seconds. Below the lamps Is Q cor , responding set of buttons, whict
 when touched with a pointer held il , the right hand, extinguish the Tespec , tive lights. Twp observers watch hir 
 , constantly and check his errors or de
 layed actions.
 Another instrument before him i . an ammeter which acts similarly to
 speed dial on a plane, and according!
 in the test must be kept at a con a stant point. One of the examiner: out of view of the pilot. changes tn ] pointer from time to time, and it
 up to the pilot to rectffy his dial b \ sliding his right hand along an in \ stTume mt Arranged to. compensate fC 7 the changes. These two duties kee his right hand pretty busy; his lei e arm is not used, as it has the b!Do \ pressure apparatus attached. He 2 also keeping a small electric fan mo
 tor at a constant speed. the vari5 tions in speed being indicated | = changes in the hum of the motor; u V corrections are effected by a fol . treadle similar to an accelerator C , an automobile. His every movemel