The US Air Force is deploying an improved "in-flight bladder decompression device" (politely), called Omni Generation 3 Skydrate, which will allow male and female pilots to perform long-distance missions with greater safety and comfort.

You may not spend much time thinking about how Air Force personnel handle urine and other body waste during long-distance flights. This is forgivable, but it has been a problem for pilots since the plane can stay at high altitude for several hours. This is not only a comfort issue, but also a health and immediate safety issue, because pilots having to relax in a cramped cockpit can be a potentially dangerous operation.

People of certain ages may remember the news reports of NASA’s early space flight, which reported how astronauts enjoyed a hearty steak and egg breakfast before heading to the launch pad. This is not just a bit of aviation tradition or masculine bluff. It used to be, and is now, a very practical meal, dating back to the bomber crew of World War II. By eating high-protein foods before boarding the spacecraft, astronauts postponed bowel movements as much as possible.

Many military flights last longer than 10 or 12 hours, and the problem of bladder decompression becomes very serious. Usually, the choice belongs to one of three options. The first is to wear an adult diaper, the second is to hold it up until it comes back to the ground, and the third is some kind of tube and bag system to take away urine.

Each of these has serious shortcomings. The diaper is uncomfortable, embarrassing, and very disgusting. Maintaining it means either risking damage to the bladder or deliberately dehydrating the pilot before the flight, which can cause headaches, reduced G-force tolerance, disorientation, and reduced flight performance. At the same time, the collection system is usually uncomfortable, difficult to use, and may need to do some dangerous things, such as unlocking the buckle, which may get stuck in the cockpit controls.

For women, the latter is worse because many systems are difficult to use. According to reports, some female pilots have to completely take off their flight suits to use the "small bags." Needless to say, all this will not only reduce the efficiency of the pilots, but also affect the combat readiness of the crew and impede rapid deployment.

To solve this problem, the Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC) worked with the Air Force Equipment Command and other air forces to collect feedback from pilots—especially female pilots—as part of an effort to improve the Skydrate system built by Omni.

For the test, 30 female flight crew members went to the Omni facility for several hours of wear testing, while another 9 pilots at three external sites conducted flight tests. Feedback has led to improved female Skydrate systems including larger collection bags, improved flow rates, multiple hose lengths, one-handed on/off functions, and more cushion size options.

The Human Systems Program Office of the Agile Operations Support Agency at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio is also studying new proposals from other companies regarding new bladder decompression devices equipped with new pumps and human-machine interfaces.

Sharon Rogers, Chief Test Engineer of the 46th Test Squadron of the Eglin Air Force, said: "This is a good example of using the'flight, repair, fly' model to prioritize female crew feedback and speed up the test process to deploy equipment faster. ,Florida.