Breathing in Extreme Environments with Lt Col Justin "Astro" Elliott

Mar 3, 2024

Lt Col Justin "Astro" Elliott, a former commander of the USAF Thunderbirds and expert in fighter pilot physiology, discusses the critical role of breathing in extreme environments. He shares his extensive flying career and the unique challenges faced by fighter pilots, particularly regarding breath control under high G-forces. Astro also delves into advancements in technology aimed at improving lung function, the psychological dynamics of elite aerial teams, and the importance of decision-making and adaptability in aviation. His insights illuminate the intersection of science and performance standards in military aviation.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Cognitive Load in Modern Combat

Pilots face massive informational overload due to extended threat ranges and hypersonic weapons.
Human perception of threat distance must adapt as engagements occur hundreds of miles away.

INSIGHT

Complex Causes of Breathing Issues

Fighter breathing issues stem from physiological and flow rate demands, not just hardware faults.
Pilots hyperventilate to compensate for breathing resistance, leading to dangerous hypocapnia.

ADVICE

Manage Breathing Distress in Flight

When experiencing breathing distress, pilots should remove restrictive gear and let their bodies return to normal.
Understanding physiological limits can prevent panic and promote safer recovery in flight.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

In this week's episode we're focusing on breathing in some pretty extreme circumstances. Our guest is Lt Col Justin "Astro" Elliott (depending on when you're listening to this, possibly Colonel already). It's hard to find someone more qualified to talk about breathing for extreme physiological demands - Astro has flown 30+ different airframes, commanded the Thunderbirds demonstration squadron, and led the Air Force's efforts to address breathing problems among fighter pilots.

Astro went to Yale where he was a D1 collegiate swimmer and a Mechanical Engineering engineering major, so he embraced the high performer life early. He graduated and commissioned in the Air Force in 2005, and went on to fly the F-15E in Afghanistan, including participating in the Battle of Kamdesh, which is featured in both Red Platoon and The Outpost. He went on to get Masters Degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Flight Test Engineering, and is a graduate of both the USAF Weapons School and the USAF Test Pilot School. He commanded the 59th Test and Eval Squadron (which includes All 6 fighter/attack jets in one squadron), and then most recently served as Thunderbird 1, the commander of the USAF Thunderbirds. He just wrapped up that command and is now at the NATO Defense College in Rome.

Bonus facts about Astro:

He is the first person in history to complete all 3 Air Force elite flying programs (Weapons School, Test Pilot School, and Thunderbirds).

He combined fighter breathing knowledge from 9 communities into 1 unifying brief to explain fighter physiological performance across disparate communities.

He is a founding member of COPE Fighter, (characterizing/optimizing the physiological environment in fighters).

He founded "Crowd Sourced Flight Test" - pulling fighter test data from fielded forces to avoid test environment stovepipes and accelerate iterative learning.

He was a finalist in the NASA Astronaut 2017 board. He also participated in the 2021 board, but withdrew to accept the Thunderbird 1 assignment.