Hypoxia effects

Take care of pressurization system and oxygen supply…

I like it!

Make a Zendesk ticket as well!

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Honestly, I think we have bigger fish to fry. The sim needs a lot of work just on core functionality.

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I think this idea is interesting. While there are still a number of things that need to be worked on in the simulator, aeromedical factors are a part of a pilot’s training, and it might be helpful for some people to better understand that there are consequences to their actions, especially when it comes to stagnant hypoxia (pulling too many Gs) and hypoxic hypoxia (being too high in an unpressurized situation).

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I’m surprised nobody has tackled this with a mod yet.

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We have seen g effects introduced with SU7. Now how about hypoxia and hypothermia?

You could have it so that at initial stages user inputs would be incorrect (giving the pilot the opportunity to identify that there was an issue and take corrective measures)

At a more severe level, cockpit camera function could be impared and control inputs harder to make and more error prone.

And then blackout.

We are seeing aircraft with pressurisation, supplemental oxygen and cabin climate control modelled. Would be nice if it meant something.

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What effects are you expecting to see?

Do you know what the effects of hypoxia are?

Yes. Progressively reduced cognitive function eventually leading to black-out and death. The medical effects are of course well known (and no need for me to rehearse them in detail here) although subject to considerable variation across individuals.

Naturally you would have to find a way for this to be simulated and the best way I can think of it would be for the introduction of deliberate error responses to user inputs.

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I remember A2A simulations had a mod for the C182- you could bring an oxygen cannister along for your flights up at altitude.

I thought they would have put this in with the G-forces and the whole maverick thing. :slightly_frowning_face:

Flight simulator should have an option to allow users to enable gradual hypoxia symptoms when flying in an unpressurized or depressurized aircraft over 12000 feet in the day and night. If no supplement oxygen or breathable cabin pressure then the user control sensitivity and cockpit control movement becomes lower over 1 to 30 minutes depending on attitude and then crash screen.

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There are four types of hypoxia:

  • Hypoxic hypoxia: This is the case, above, where there simply isn’t enough oxygen to move around your bloodstream.
  • Stagnant hypoxia: This happens when you pull too many Gs and your body is unable to circulate your blood.
  • Hypemic hypoxia: This happens when another substance comes in and binds to the hemoglobin in your blood, making it unable to transport oxygen. In an aircraft, this could happen if you have carbon monoxide in the cabin.
  • Histotoxic hypoxia: This happens when oxygen is circulating through the body, but the body can’t make use of it. One common way this can happen is from alcohol, though it is not the only way.

I hope that the MSFS team models three of those when the time comes. (I’m okay with them not simulating histotoxic hypoxia!)

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I think that altitude is a bit low to pass out and ‘crash’.

Most people without any underlying health conditions have no problem remaining conscious at 15,000 ft and beyond. (I’ve hiked up a mountain, 13,000 ft high, with no problems)

‘For private aircraft operating in the US, crew members are required to use oxygen masks if the cabin altitude (a representation of the air pressure, see below) stays above 12,500 ft (3,800 m) for more than 30 minutes, or if the cabin altitude reaches 14,000 ft (4,300 m) at any time. At altitudes above 15,000 ft (4,600 m), passengers are required to be provided oxygen masks as well.’
Source: Cabin pressurization - Wikipedia

The problem with mild hypoxic hypoxia is the detremental effect it has on cognitive ability and decision making. But as we cannot simulate either of those in MSFS, there is nothing to be added because at that stage there aren’t any loss of conciousness or vision problems.

So it makes sense to start the visual effects from an altitude that generally results in moderately altered cognitive ability/beginnings of visual problems/fast onset of altitude sickness.

Everest base camp is at 17,598 ft and people there do not require oxygen, generally people that are there have altitude training but you get my point!

The critical thing is the speed at which you gain altitude - climbers have many days if not weeks to aclimate to altitude (a complex process of change in blood chemistry).

Pilots in aircraft do not typically have time and often transition to sea leave to altitudes above 10000 in a matter of minutes and the effects of hypoxia are unmitigated. The most common altitude for the onset of Acute Mountain Sickness is only 8500-9000ft as the most common cohort of sufferers are skiers going to the high Rockies from sea level…

But yes 12000ft and above starts to get dicey if you came from sea level rapidly. I remember getting off a plane at El Alto in Bolivia (c13000ft) and feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. But I didn’t black out! 3 weeks later I hardly noticed it…

There could be several settings altitude acclimatization just like there are for G-forces now. Like the tobacco enthusiast GA pilot and the WW1 high altitude pilot (aka the “oxygen, I don’t need oxygen at 20k, all I want is warm mittens”).

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I love the settings you’ve suggested! :rofl: Nice idea, it’d be great to be able to choose.

Now that we have this thread, do you still hold that same opinion? Lol

Just a small clarification, to add to the discussion.
At high altitude, the percentage of oxygen is the same as at sea level, but there is less O2 available due to the low pressure. The problem is also in the difference of pressures required for your lungs to absorb that oxygen, which doesn’t exist, because of low ambient pressure. This is why you need supplemental oxygen. Above certain altitudes (40000 feet), even that will not do and you will need to breathe positive pressure oxygen.
I went through hypoxia several times in hypobaric chamber training, once at 34000 feet. You do not feel “short of air”, it seems “normal”. Symptoms of hypoxia differ from person to person, hence why we all trained on it every couple of years to recognize our symptoms (I was flying miltary jets at the time). Some people had euphoria as their main symptom, which is extremely dangerous!
High performance aircraft will also give you positive pressure oxygen when you are pulling G’s, for the same reason, to help your body absorb oxygen. You pass out under G-lock for the same reason, not enough O2 gets to your brain.

+1 too from my side!

You could slow the cursor reaction time down, introduce random camera and cursor movement, and also delay control inputs.

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