Arm-reach capability of USAF pilots as affected by personal protective equipment

Thirty-two USAF pilots participated in a study to determine the effects of personal protective equipment upon arm-reach capability. The reach envelope of each pilot was measured under two experimental conditions: 1) shirt-sleeved with the inertial reel unlocked; and 2) wearing complete winter flying assembly with the inertial reel locked. Selected descriptive statistics are presented for each of five angular positions. Arm-reach envelopes for various percentile values obtained for the two experimental conditions at 10 knob distances from the deck are shown. The results indicate that there are singificant practical differences in arm-reach capability between the shirt-sleeved and the complete winter flying assembly conditions.