Aerospace medicine can help enhance efficiency of aircrew: Air Chief

Bangalore, Oct 31 (UNI) The induction of advanced aircraft and their versatile utility both in short and long duration multi-role missions have thrown challenges to experts in Aerospace Medicine in improving crew performance and flight safety, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal F H Major said today.

Delivering the inaugural address at the 47th Annual Conference of the Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine here, he said aero medical training would not only help instill confidence in the air crew, but also exploit the full potential of the man-machine combination.

Maintaining that challenges before aerospace medicine experts were not merely maintaining physical fitness of pilots, but also enhancing the capability of air crew in the most trying environments, the Air Chief Marshal exhorted aerospace medicine personnel to focus on mental alertness, operational efficiency and flight safety.

Emphasising the need for enhanced research in the field of aerospace medicine, aimed at improving crew performance and reducing the negative impact of environmental, performance and mission related factors, he said ''flight safety should be accorded paramount importance.'' Air Chief Marshal Major said the enormous growth in the aviation sector had thrown up challenges in acquiring latest medical practices and techniques to all personnel engaged in the field of aviation medicine. ''I commend ISAM for its role in helping meet the challenges of preventive and curative health services for the armed forces,'' he said.

Air Marshal J K Gupta, Director General, Medical Services (Air), said over 400 delegates, including scientists from various research organisations, were participating in the annual conference.

He said the conference, with the theme 'Operational Aerospace Medicine', would cover all aspects related to aviation, including aeromedical evaluation, long duration fighter flying and spatial disorientation.

The conference would provide an ideal platform for interaction among aviation medicine specialists, doctors from allied specialities and scientists, leading to exchange of information.

UNI