On 17 April 2002, as the Afghanistan conflict was escalating, a friendly-fire incident swept the headlines. An American F-16 being flown by an Air National Guard pilot mistook Canadians training in a live fire drill for Taliban insurgents and dropped a…
Chemical stimulants and sleeping aids have a long history of use in improving performance in military personnel. The first pharmacologic stimulant, Amphetamine, became available by prescription in 1937. It was used in WWII by the Japanese and Germans of the Axis Powers…
In late December 1978, a United Airlines commercial aircraft DC-8 carrying 181 passengers and 8 crew crashed outside Portland, Oregon. 8 passengers and 2 crew members died. Although the crew did encounter a real malfunction of the aircraft, ultimately the National…
Legislators of the Armed Services Committee recently published comments on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015. This federal law is passed every year and specifies the budget and expenditures of the Department of Defense. The 2014…
I recently finished the book, On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace, by former Army Ranger turned psychologist, Lt Col (ret.) Dave Grossman. Although I have some concerns on how rigorous the science…
Fighter aircraft are commonly home to locations with stable weather patterns and abundant airspace for training purposes. Many times, these advantages for military flight operations also coincide with very high temperatures. Additionally, military aircraft often deploy to either hot arid…
Critical analysis of medical information is not unique to Aerospace Medicine or any of the other sub-categories of medicine typically covered by Go Flight Medicine (GFM). However, a discussion on the process of acquiring medical knowledge is important for both readers and…
Looking for a job at Everest ER? If this is a career goal of yours, you need to strongly consider acquiring a Diploma of Mountain Medicine (DiMM). This internationally recognized certification in the field of Wilderness Medicine is awarded to…
Almost 5 years after the historic birth of controlled flight at Kitty Hawk, an updated version of the Wright Flyer was involved in the first fatal aircraft mishap in powered flight. Many early pioneers in aviation, like Otto Lilienthal, had already…
Pilot fatigue is a constant threat to all aircrew. There are particular risk factors for those flying high-performance fighter platforms. Flying high-G sorties is physically exhausting. This is an tiring business and even well-rested pilots will find themselves fatigued from the…
