This airman is filling up on oxygen, and exercising to speed the process, before a flight to substratosphere levels in an Army fighter. Such planes as Republic's Thunderbolt (P-47) and Lockheed's Lightning (P-38) climb so fast that nitrogen escapes from pilots' blood, gives them the agonizing aerial equivalent of divers' "bends." Half an hour's exercise "on oxygen" reduces the nitrogen content of the blood and makes speedy ascent safe. But airmen must breathe oxygen (from a portable flask) on their way from the bicycles to their planes. One breath of air, and they must go back and exercise for another...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
