The original Striker is currently in use by air forces flying Eurofighter Typhoons and Saab Gripens, though, so it makes sense that they'd be some of the first to line up. The gotcha for any aspiring aces? BAE hasn't said just when it expects the Striker II to go into service, or who might be a customer. An array of lights on the back of the Striker II help guide a head-tracking system that keeps projected information in close sync with head movements a pilot caught in a dogfight won't have to wait crucial moments for flight info to drift into view. The tech should be far more comfortable during lengthy missions, especially in sharp turns where G-forces make any added weight feel that much worse. oxygen mask to identify a design revision effect for the nose area of the oxygen mask. Its brand new Striker II helmet includes a night vision camera that projects its footage on to the visor's high-resolution display, giving the pilot a good look at the outside world without the need for extra equipment. Much to aircrews' relief, BAE Systems wants to make that clunky headgear a distant memory. However, they still have to strap on heavy night vision goggles to fly in the dark - an all too literal pain in the neck. This article was originally published on by Sandboxx.Fighter pilots have access to helmets with amazing abilities. He also runs a YouTube channel that receives over 10 million views per month. Hasard is a writer and speaker for Sandboxx. In his latest role, he was the Chief of F-35 Training Systems, developing innovative techniques to train future fighter pilots. Prior to flying the F-35, he flew the F-16 Viper, including 82 combat missions. Hasard Lee is a fighter pilot currently flying the F-35 Panther, the United StatesвЂ™ newest 5th Generation stealth fighter. As long as itвЂ™s just for a short time, the effects are negligible and actually encouraged by our aerospace physiologists. Above 25,000, though, extended time without a mask will eventually cause hypoxia.Д«ecause dehydration can be equally detrimental as hypoxia in a fighter, most pilots will drop their mask several times throughout a flight to drink water, and for longer missions, to eat. Additionally-as anyone whoвЂ™s visited a high city can attest-itвЂ™s easier for fatigueВ to set in. We donвЂ™t though because a cockpit depressurization could rapidly suck out the air-much faster than an airliner due to how small our cockpit is. If they are cruising under 25,000 feet, they can fly for a long period of time with their mask down and not feel any effects. So, what happens if a pilot takes off their mask? The answer is: It depends. Once we climb above 25,000 feet the cockpit altitude slowly rises so that by the time weвЂ™re at 50,000 feet, the pressure inside the cockpit is equivalent to about 20,000 feet, or the altitude of some of the tallest mountains in the world (Everest is 29,000). From 8,000 feet to around 25,000 feet, we maintain 8,000 feet inside the cockpit-similar to many ski resorts. From sea-level to 8,000 feet, we donвЂ™t pressurize it at all-itвЂ™s the same as if a hole was cut in the canopy. Fighter aircraft are different than civilian airliners: In order to save weight and space, we donвЂ™t maintain constant pressure inside the cockpit. Now that weвЂ™ve gone over what the mask does, letвЂ™s talk about the air pressure inside the cockpit. By forcing air into the pilotвЂ™s lungs, modern masks help us breathe under high G for sustained amounts of time. This can make it extremely difficult to breathe. It feels like a car is parked on your chest. ThatвЂ™s over 2,000 pounds of force crushing me into my seat.

If youвЂ™ve ever been on a roller coaster that does a loop and pushes your head down, thatвЂ™s about 3GвЂ™s. I weight 210 pounds, 240 with my gear on.

Fighter pilot mask