|
| "'Ask
the pilot for more air if you have difficulty breathing or thinking. It
could mean you're not getting enough oxygen,' suggests Diana Fairechild"
-USA Today |
| "Hypoxia,
or oxygen deprivation in the central nervous system, can occur when not
enough air is put into the cabins, says Diana Fairechild." -Earth Journal
|
| "Fairechild
discusses what passengers can do to increase the oxygen levels and reduce
exposure to toxic chemicals and infectious agents." -Art Bell, Coast
to CoastAM |
| "According
to Fairechild, flying first-class is not about gourmet meals anymore--it's
about air. Passengers in first class, she alleges, get approximately three
times more oxygen per person than do those in economy." - Priorities
|
| "The
situation is too tight, too crowded, and too impersonal," Fairechild said.
"The seats are too small, they're too close together, and there isn't
enough oxygen." -Investor's Business Daily |
| "The
thing I enjoy only slightly less than a tooth extraction is flying...
Fairechild, still perky after what amounts to 300 circumnavigations of
the globe, said that the mostly non-lethal dangers of air travel amount
to one of the great unexplored environmental health issues of the day...Considering
how many of us this affects, this lone voice is well worth hearing." -John
Bogert, Copley Newspapers |
| "Diana
Fairechild, a highly respected consumer advocate for the flying public,
says there is 'no quick fix for all the symptoms of jetlag because of
all the different causes -- shifts in time, alterations in magnetic fields,
modifications in climate, and diversitites in cultures. Flying in commercial
jets, we're deprived of air and humidity while exposed to recycled germs
and chemicals, radiation, pesticides, and noise.'" -Ambassadair Travel
Club |
RELATED
PAGES
Recirculated air
Pilots control the air
Preemies and cabin
air
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DEAR
DIANA
I am a mother of three,
and it always bothers me when I hear the emergency announcements on airplanes
telling us to grab our own oxygen masks before we assist our children. Children
seem so much more vulnerable than adults. I believe a child would certainly
stop breathing in an emergency before an adult! Unless you can explain this
to me, I don't plan to follow the instructions they give on airplanes.
-Joan
DIANA RESPONDS
Dear Joan
I am glad you wrote to
me when you felt the emergency instructions on your flight were incomplete.
It is my impression that the airlines deliberately offer instructions this
way to avoid scaring passengers.
If a depressurization occurs
on board (when oxygen becomes scarce on a flight), we have only about "18
seconds of useful consciousness."
"Useful consciousness"
is the time before physical and mental functioning deteriorates to the point
where we cannot take care of ourselves. Obviously, if a parent loses useful
consciousness, she won't be able to take care of her child.
A doctor explained to me
that if children lose consciousness, they normally have three to seven minutes
in which they can be revived without lasting side effects.
So, on an airplane, when the parent generally has 18 seconds to figure it
all out, the math makes sense for the parent to put on her mask first and
then attend to her child.
ENVIRONMENTAL
STRESS
Loss of what the airlines
call "useful consciousness" is individual and contingent upon:
-The type of depressurization
(slow or rapid)
-The altitude of the flight
-The other environmental stressors en route include radiation, pesticides,
length of flight, hour of departure, departure location, and more.
-Each passenger's overall constitution and well being on the day of travel
REST
BEFORE FLYING
Arrive at your flight with
a good night's sleep under your belt. In the event of a catastrophic occurrence,
this could mean a few extra seconds of useful consciousness. And let's face
it -- a good night's sleep will give you more useful consciousness, anyway.
MORE
TIPS
-What helps many of us
to muster peace of mind when considering these alarming contingencies is
preparation -- e.g., rehearse the situation in your mind until you feel competent.
Then, if a depressurization occurs, you will competently take care of yourself
and your child.
-In documented depressurizations over the last 10 years, passengers have
been treated for heart attacks, collapsed lungs, ear pain and bleeding ears,
nose bleeds, and loss of consciousness.
-The important thing to remember about handling an oxygen mask is: if a mask
drops near you, PULL IT TO YOU. Pulling the mask out of its holder is what
starts the flow of oxygen. In mock-up situations, I was able to pull a mask
towards me in two seconds, and to secure the strap behind my head in another
four seconds. Certainly, you'll be able to do this if you think about this
now and picture it in your mind, and then review it again every time you
fly.
-During depressurizations, flight attendants are supposed to walk around
wearing portable oxygen masks and assist the injured and the inept. Flight
attendants, however, will be suffering more than the passengers in a depressurization
because of their increased physical activities. Although flight
attendants have
been expertly trained to function in emergencies, their physical and mental
capacities are 40% lower than the passengers' according to a report mandated
by Congress. All this may not matter anyway, because the aircraft master
oxygen tanks hold just enough oxygen to accommodate a full passenger load
for only ten minutes. It is comforting to note, though, that commercial airlines
train pilots to complete a dive (hold on to your stomach!) into breathable
air in about three minutes.
-It is easy to feel helpless
when you're strapped in an airplane seat. Please realize, however, that the
flying experience is not entirely beyond our control. In response to an inflight
emergency, you can choose between competency and panic.
-The way to avoid panic starts with information. Inform yourself so that
we have a clear understanding of what may go wrong.
-Mentally rehearse what you might need to do in a catastrophe, then control
your reactions so that you can act responsibly. |
