Flight Physiology/Gas Laws Flashcards
What to do in the event of a crash?
-Ensure safety restraints
-Turn off oxygen
-Knees to chest and follow pilot commands
What to do immediately after a crash?
Follow pilot commands and exit immediately
Know what to do after the crash
Shelter is #1 priority
What is the ELT (Emergency Location Transmitter) Frequency?
121.5 MHZ
When is ELT activated?
When forces of 4 G’s or greater are experienced
What organization is responsible for all downed aircraft SAR (search and rescue)?
Civil Air Patrol which works under the United States Airforce
Pitot Tube (Pilot Tube)
Used to measure fluid flow and velocity. Wind speed
What are the rules regarding a “sterile cockpit”
No conversation during take off, landing, or emergency procedures
Levels of atmosphere from lowest to highest
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Minimum weather conditions for flying daytime?
Local/non-mountainous: 800 ft and 2 miles
Local/mountainous: 800 ft and 3 miles
Minimum weather conditions for nighttime?
Local/non-mountainous: 800 ft and 3 miles
Local/mountainous: 1000 ft and 3 miles
What is a NVG?
Night Vision Goggles
Minimum candlepower for a helicopter spotlight?
400,000 candlepower
Name this Gas:
Pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume (pressure up, volume down)
Boyles law
Failing to zero a transducer, what happens
Either over damp or under damp.
Up and over, worry about over damping
Down and under, down in altitude will under damp
If pressure is constant, the volume of a gas is directly proportional to temperature. (Temp goes up, volume goes up)
Think c for Celsius
Charles law
If volume is constant, the pressure of a gas is directly proportional to its temperature. (Temp up= pressure up)
what happens to an oxygen tank fills up and it heats up the cylinder (pressurized it)
Guy- Lussac’s law
Partial pressure law
The percentage of oxygen does not change regardless of elevation BUT the partial pressure of oxygen will change with the total atmospheric pressure.
Daltons Law
How to calculate changes in FiO2 due to elevation change?
(FiO2 x pressure 1) / pressure 2 = FiO2 change needed for ascent
Ex: (0.4 x 780) / 500 = 0.62
The solubility of a gas is directly proportional to its partial pressure. Partial pressure up= Solubility up
This is why oxygenation is improved with PEEP and FiO2.
Decompression sickness for divers would apply to this law
Henry’s Law
The rate of a diffusion of a gas across a membrane is inversely proportional to it’s total molecular mass and directly proportional to its solubility.
Gas molecules will take longer to diffuse across a membrane, however if that gas is more soluble then it’s diffusion increases.
Graham’s Law
Barobariotrauma
Condition where bariatric patients have larger amounts of nitrogen dissolve out of their fat tissue upon ascent to a lower atmospheric pressure.
How to reverse barobariotrauma
Preoxygenate before the flight to “wash out” all the nitrogen. NRB
What is barosinusitis?
Inflammation of the sinuses during pressure changes. Typically occurs during ACSENT
What is barodontalgia?
Tooth ache caused by elevation changes. Typical occurs on ASCENT.
What is Barotitis Media?
Failure of the middle ear to equalize to changing atmospheric pressures. Typically occurs during DESCENT.
What are the 4 types of Hypoxia?
Hypoxic hypoxia
Histotoxic hypoxia
Hypemic hypoxia
Stagnant hypoxia
What is hypoxic hypoxia?
Hypoxia that occurs at altitude. Lack of oxygen.
What is histotoxic hypoxia?
Something preventing normal uptake or use of oxygen by cells despite adequate delivery.
Example is CO or cyanide poisoning.
Creates a left shit
What is hypemic hypoxia?
Hypoxia caused by inadequate oxygen delivery due to lack of red blood cells/ hemoglobin. (Anemia)
Potentially needs blood transfusion
What is stagnant hypoxia?
Lack of blood flow caused by excessive G forces.
How often do flight helmets get checked?
Annually minimum
What is flicker vertigo?
Low frequency flickering as light passes through blades
How far must your flight suit be able to pull away from the body?
1/4”
Why is considered a long range flight?
Anything over 3 hours
PIC qualifications for rotary wing
2,000 hrs total flight time
1,200 hours in a helicopter
1,000 hours as a PIC
PIC qualifications for FIXED wing
2,000 hrs total flight time
1,000 hours as PIC
100 hrs at night as PIC
What rule is:
No weather minimums (PIC assumes risk)
Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 91
Number 1 CAUSE in air medical crashes is what?
Human (pilot) error
Number 1 FACTOR in air medical crashes is?
Weather
What do you do if you encounter bad weather while enroute?
Divert to the nearest facility
What is VFR? And what does it mean?
Visual Flight Rules
You can fly only in weather conditions you can see where you’re flying
What is IFR and what does it mean?
Instrument Flight Rules
Weather conditions do not allow safe flight by sight alone, pilot must be able to use instruments to fly
How large must a HLZ be to land?
100’x100’
