Calling all future Aviation Physiology Technicians

Are you an AES OP, FLT ENGR, ATIS TECH, AVN TECH, AVS TECH, ACS TECH, TFC TECH, MED A, MED TECH, AC OP, OR TECH, or PMED TECH looking for a career change? Canadian Forces Health Services Group is now accepting Occupational Transfers and Component Transfers to the Aviation Physiology Technician (Av Phys Tech) occupation. 

Av Phys Tech duties range from instructing aircrew on aviation physiology and human factors; operating simulators such as the hypobaric (altitude) chamber, reduced oxygen breathing device, virtual reality simulators, and the human centrifuge. Pretty cool stuff!

If your interest has been sparked, then read on!

A Day in the Life of an Aviation Physiology Technician

It is the final day of aeromedical training at the Canadian Forces School of Survival and Aeromedical Training for some new pilots. Today, they get to put what they have learned in the classroom into practice in the altitude chamber. 

Excitement radiates from the students as they exit the classroom briefing and walk towards the chamber room. They begin to don their helmets and masks, which is their source of oxygen while in the hypobaric chamber. As an Av Phys Tech, I test the mask seal for each to ensure there are no leaks before they take a seat inside the big blue chamber. I join them before the heavy door closes behind us. 

The anticipation builds as the chamber staff countdown on a private communications channel, “3-2-1- INITIATE”. A loud bang occurs as a cold rush of air leaves the main chamber and it “ascends” to an altitude of 10,000 feet in less than one second. I am one of the safety personnel and I watch carefully as the students call out “OXYGEN, OXYGEN, OXYGEN” alerting their crewmates to test their mask system.

Under the Flight Director’s instruction and in a safe environment, the students each push their yellow handles forward to begin the hypoxia recognition training. They are now breathing a combination of 10% oxygen and 90% nitrogen, simulating the lack of oxygen that one would experience at 25,000 feet of altitude. It takes only a minute before the first student feels significant symptoms of hypoxia and raises her yellow handle and flicks the levers to 100% oxygen and emergency pressure. One-by-one they each reach their own tolerance level and return to breathing 100% oxygen. The training ends when the final student conducts the emergency procedures, and all the yellow levers are back up in the starting position.

If you think this is a career you would be interested in, please contact the Canadian Forces Health Services Group Staff Officer for Attraction at 613-901-1558 for more information, and watch for the 2021 Voluntary Occupation Transfer – Trained Competitions for Non-Commissioned Members and Officers CANFORGEN to be released in Spring 2020.