Plan for combat safety

Combat Edge, Feb, 2002 by Jason L. Capt. Marshall

The 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB Mo., set a new record for combat sortie duration in the war on terrorism. Six B-2s led the first new days of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM by destroying some of the most critical targets and clearing the way for other critical combat assets to successfully engage air strikes virtually unchallenged over Afghanistan. One of those B-2 sorties was just over 44 hours, which made it the longest combat sortie in the history of aviation. Whiteman's training program and operational innovativeness is continuing to work toward effectively overcoming many of the significant obstacles encountered during long-duration sorties. The 509 BW Safety office works with numerous base organizations like the Medical Group and the Civil Engineers. The goal is to alleviate fatigue by planning for proper sleep, cockpit noise proper diet, waste disposal, and electronic information management.

Proper Sleep

The major concern of almost every B-2 driver is the battle against fatigue during long-duration combat sorties. B-2 pilots train for long duration missions by flying sorties in excess of 50 hours in the wing's flight simulator. The most important part of any long-duration sortie is a good night's sleep prior to the mission.

Missions in excess of 30 hours mean B-2 crewmembers will require sleep at some point in the mission, but currently the aircraft has no on-board sleeping accommodations. Since the B-2 has a small cockpit with room for only two pilots, a backup crew is not an option as in other large airframes. The B-2 cockpit has little room to maneuver vertically or horizontally B-2 pilots and local civil engineers worked together to develop a modified military cot custom fit to the space available in the B-2's cockpit. The cot can be used to extend the length of the available sleep surface to more than 6 feet. Prior to this, pilots were attempting to sleep on the floor behind the ejection seats. This was not very successful due to the small space and high volume air ducts that blow air across the floor's surface. Another option being investigated is using a pad on the floor and placing flow diverters over some of the ducts to divert the air upward away from the floor.

Scientists and flight surgeons from the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) in San Antonio, Texas, have designed a computer program to help aircrews manage sleep cycles based on their circadian rhythm for long-duration missions. Whiteman is one of several bases pushing for finalization of this AFRL program and distribution to the base level for incorporation into the mission planning process.

Cockpit Noise

If the cramped quarters and blowing air aren't enough to make sleep a distant dream, then the rock concert level of cockpit noise will ensure no rest is obtained. B-2 noise levels are comparable to, if not greater than, that of fighter cockpits. It's no wonder Whiteman has volunteered to be the test base for the introduction of noise reduction headsets and ear-cup inserts for helmets. The BOSE[TM] noise reduction headsets were rated number one by pilots and technical reviews. The headsets have been approved for flight and procured. Meanwhile, the noise reduction ear cups are being incorporated into a new helmet design, which is in its final stages and should be implemented by the time this article is published. The new helmet design will potentially benefit all aircrews in all aircraft.

Proper Diet

To address the fatigue issues associated with diet, our Flight Safety office invited Dr. Barry Sears, a leading research scientist in biotechnology, to speak at a recent quarterly safety meeting about the correlation between diet, nutrition, and fatigue. Although a good diet may only represent 20 percent of an array of issues being addressed in the war on fatigue, it is expected to provide 80 percent of the solution to a winning strategy.

He compared the body to an engine. If the body is given the right protein-to-carbohydrate-to-fat ratio, then its performance is optimized like an engine operating with the right fuel-to-air ratio. He recommends a diet that consists mostly of carbohydrates in the form of fruits and vegetables. The next most important component is meat and fish followed by unsaturated fats. Breads, grains, pastas, processed foods, and starchy foods like potatoes should he minimized. Most of the people who follow his advice notice a difference in energy levels, alertness, and a reduction in nightly sleep requirements. These benefits are vital to the B-2 community in the battle against fatigue and valuable to operators of other airborne platforms.

The traditional box lunch is typically full of multiple servings of food with little nutritional value. The food in a standard box lunch is not rated to last longer than 4 hours. According to leading experts in the field of diet and nutrition, the large, unbalanced levels of complex carbohydrates can cause insulin levels in the blood to spike, inducing the infamous food coma. This has been verified by pilots who have experienced these food comas first hand. Not only does the food induce drowsiness, it is packaged in big boxes that waste a lot of space and leave unmanageable amounts of waste in the cockpit after 40 hours. A new concept in box lunches is being aggressively pursued.