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F-16's collision avoidance system saves life of an unconcious pilot

Levina

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I thought this was a very cool system,Auto-GCAS, that was incorporated into F-16s in 2014. The system was originally developed by NASA i heard.
There are few things that i want you to know before you watch the video.
The most common causes of deaths of pilots or loss of an aircraft are due to
1. Spatial disorientation: It can is further divided into recognized and unrecognized. Recognized as in the pilot has the ability to understand he's disoriented.

2. G-LOC : Gravity induced loss of consciousness.
We should not be surprised as to why gravity causes such havoc on an aircraft.
F=MA, the force on a body increases with the mass and the rate at which it accelerates. The gravitational pull exerted on an object, on earth, is about 9.82m/s sq(that's high school physics). This is the G force.
A pilot can experience diff G's during powered flight
  • acceleration lasting 3 to 4 sec - 5.5 G
  • acceleration lasting upto 3 min- 14 G
In short,a body weighing 50kgs at 1G can actually weigh upto 150KGs at 3G. No kidding!
It goes without saying that higher G is perilous for the blood flow into our brain. The difference in pressure between the cranium and body can cause unconsciousness which is called G-LOC.


If anyone can explain a bit more about the pilot system then you're more than welcome
@WAJsal @قناص
@hellfire (some more physics!!! :) )
@Penguin
@PARIKRAMA @anant_s



Now watch the video>>>



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Watch an F-16’s Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System save an unconscious pilot from certain death
Sep 13 2016 - 1 Comment
auto-gcas-screenshot.jpg

By David Cenciotti
The Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto-GCAS) recognized the F-16’s dangerous attitude and automatically performed the recovery that saved the life of an unconscious student pilot.
Obtained by Aviation Week, the declassified footage below shows the importance of Ground Collision Avoidance Technology (GCAT).

It was filmed from the HUD (Head-Up Display) of a U.S. Air Force Arizona ANG F-16 whose student pilot was rendered unconscious by high-G BFM (Basic Fighter Maneuver) up to 8.4g during a training flight.

With the pilot suffering G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) the aircraft started an uncontrolled steep descent from 17,000 feet in full afterburner.

You can clearly hear the worried IP (Instructor Pilot) radio “Two, recover!”, three times as the aircraft, 55-degree nose down, thundered towards the ground at more than 600 knots.

When the aircraft seems to be destined to hit the ground, the Auto-GCAS detects the unusual attitude and executes a recovery maneuver at around 8,700 ft. and 650 kt, saving “Sully 2” from CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain).

We have analysed GCAT in depth with an article by USAF Flight Surgeon, Capt Rocky ‘Apollo’ Jedick, last year.

As explained in that story, two of the most common human factors conditions that lead to death or loss of aircraft in combat aviation are spatial disorientation and G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC).

Spatial Disorientation is the inability to determine one’s position, location, and motion relative to their environment. The Pilot-Activated Recovery System (PARS) will save pilots suffering from recognized Spatial-D as long as the pilot remains able to activate the technology. If a pilot is spatially disoriented but remains unable to initiate PARS, Auto-GCAS should theoretically still save him/her from CFIT.

Auto-GCAS provokes inputs to the flight controls automatically without pilot initiation. The technology relies on sophisticated computer software, terrain maps, GPS and predictive algorithms that will ‘take the jet’ from the pilot when CFIT is predicted to be imminent.

Although Ground Collision Avoidance Technology has proved to save several lives (this is the fourth confirmed “save” by the Auto-GCAS system since the system was introduced in 2014 according to AW’s Guy Norris) it has some significant software and hardware limitations.

For example, as we highlighted last year, the system is not able to make inputs on the throttle. If the power reduction is required for the optimal recovery GCAT systems (as Auto-GCAS and PARS) might be unable to initiate recovery overriding the current throttle setting.

 
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Hi,

Before anyone discusses anything---after you have read the article---how about to those pakistani fanboys and trolls who think that 8G is not enough on the JF17's---.
Because they have never been into any aerial engagement.Jf 17 can take upto 9g but this surely has been set to be 8g for sake of man machine safety,it's better to know your limits.
 
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Hi,


So---with this feature---is it the reason that there are so few crashes of the F22 and no crashes of the F35's----.
 
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8G is not enough on the JF17's---.
Oops.
Afaik a normal person can bear upto 5g, pilots being the super humans that they are, can be trained to bear upto 9g.
Btw it also depends on time of exposure.

Because they have never been into any aerial engagement.Jf 17 can take upto 9g but this surely has been set to be 8g for sake of man machine safety,it's better to know your limits.
Umm
Humans can bear more g force when lying on their back than lying face down.

image.jpeg
 
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f16 seats are recline backwards to help pilots tolerate more Gs.....does anyone know how much more an average pilot can tolerate in an f-16 compared to other jets?
 
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Oops.
Afaik a normal person can bear upto 5g, pilots being the super humans that they are, can be trained to bear upto 9g.
Btw it also depends on time of exposure.


Umm
Humans can bear more g force when lying on their back than lying face down.

View attachment 334336

Hi,

I have been to the air shows in the U S and some STUNT pilots have trained themselves to bear 10-11 G's.

In 2002---I came across a female stunt pilot at march air reserve base---the announcer claimed that she could bear 12G's---.
 
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does anyone know how much more an average pilot can tolerate in an f-16 compared to other jets?
Well, the design capability of any jet can not exceed 9g because pilots can not bear anything more than that.
The airframe can bear upto 13-14g.

Hi,

I have been to the air shows in the U S and some STUNT pilots have trained themselves to bear 10-11 G's.

In 2002---I came across a female stunt pilot at march air reserve base---the announcer claimed that she could bear 12G's---.
Possible.
But human life sciences still consider 9g as the safe limit.
Btw higher g force would also mean higher maintenance for airframe.
 
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@Levina Ah, Physics is it? Wonder what did I do to get the 'personalised' discourse in physics? :undecided:

Reminds me of Col John P Stapp, MD PhD USAF, who went upto 46.2 Gs for few seconds in his experiment to analyse the safety of an ejection at simulated conditions of 2 mach at 35000 ft I think.

(Doctors eh? Reminds me of Col AG Rangaraj MVC the first Indian paratrooper also a doc!)

Guess it all depends on your G suit, your biological constitution (misding any arterio-venous malformation or any co-morbidity potentially contributing towards it thus fatal; medicine for you :enjoy:) and the physiological state of your body -balance of rest, nutrition and hydration. Something akin to performance in an endurance run for a soldier.

I guess we should be having this in all aircrafts. Effectively, the era of pilot and dogfights is coming to an end. It shall be more of your machine than your skills. Fair enough.
 
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Reminds me of Col John P Stapp, MD PhD USAF, who went upto 46.2 Gs for few seconds in his experiment to analyse the safety of an ejection at simulated conditions of 2 mach at 35000 ft I think.
Cool!
Just read about him on Wikipedia and the guy seems to have contributed a lot the studies on the effects of acceleration and deceleration on humans.
Wonder why would one voluntarily risk his life? :/
Btw this guy came up with Stapp's law >>> "The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle."
Ironical Paradox!


Reminds me of Col AG Rangaraj MVC the first Indian paratrooper also a doc!)
Oh!
This guy deserves a separate thread. :tup:

image.jpeg



Guess it all depends on your G suit, your biological constitution

True.
When the pilots are pulling positive g's the suit inflates and prevents blood from pooling in their feet and legs which would cause G-LOC
@Levina Ah, Physics is it?
Some part of it was physics and rest was biology. :coffee:

Wonder what did I do to get the 'personalised' discourse in physics? :undecided:
Hehe
The introduction part of this thread was not meant for experts like you but for dilettante ones like me.
Thank you so much for contributing to this thread. :tup:
Genuinely luvd your post. I didn't know about those men at all.
 
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