Analyzing the air mask fit for bearded commercial airline pilots.
Abstract
There is a widespread belief that facial hair reduces the effective seal of airline pilots' oxygen masks, thereby decreasing protection from hypoxia during emergencies like rapid decompression. Many airlines argue that beards prevent pilots from safely controlling the aircraft and have instituted policies banning them, although the FAA leaves this up to individual airlines while also claiming mask effectiveness could be impaired by facial hair.
A group of commercial pilots funded a study at the College of Aviation High Altitude Lab (HAL) to assess the effectiveness of standard masks during simulated exposure to 30,000 ft altitude. The participants, pilots and students, were divided into three groups of eight: long beards (>3 cm), short beards (cm), and clean-shaven. All wore pulse oximeters continuously recording oxygen saturation and heart rate.
With masks on for 10 minutes at around an altitude of 30,000ft, no leaks were evident from the oximeter readings. Masks were then removed for about 5 minutes to confirm the oximeters could detect hypoxia levels. The masks were quickly worn for another 10 minutes to demonstrate the absence of detected leaks. Ammonium salts waved underneath the masks could not be smelled, demonstrating the masks' seals were tight enough to prevent chemical exposure. The study found no evidence that facial hair caused mask leaks, hypoxia, or chemicals to affect performance.
Analyzing the air mask fit for bearded commercial airline pilots.
There is a widespread belief that facial hair reduces the effective seal of airline pilots' oxygen masks, thereby decreasing protection from hypoxia during emergencies like rapid decompression. Many airlines argue that beards prevent pilots from safely controlling the aircraft and have instituted policies banning them, although the FAA leaves this up to individual airlines while also claiming mask effectiveness could be impaired by facial hair.
A group of commercial pilots funded a study at the College of Aviation High Altitude Lab (HAL) to assess the effectiveness of standard masks during simulated exposure to 30,000 ft altitude. The participants, pilots and students, were divided into three groups of eight: long beards (>3 cm), short beards (cm), and clean-shaven. All wore pulse oximeters continuously recording oxygen saturation and heart rate.
With masks on for 10 minutes at around an altitude of 30,000ft, no leaks were evident from the oximeter readings. Masks were then removed for about 5 minutes to confirm the oximeters could detect hypoxia levels. The masks were quickly worn for another 10 minutes to demonstrate the absence of detected leaks. Ammonium salts waved underneath the masks could not be smelled, demonstrating the masks' seals were tight enough to prevent chemical exposure. The study found no evidence that facial hair caused mask leaks, hypoxia, or chemicals to affect performance.