CIA-UAP-012, Combating Fatigue In Crewmembers

[PAGE 1] Approved for [release] — Domestic Collection Division, Foreign Intelligence Information Report. DIRECTORATE OF OPERATIONS. COUNTRY: USSR. DCD REPORT NO. DO-B-321/33474-76. SUBJECT: Combating Fatigue in Crewmembers/Aeroflot Work Cycles/Use of Drugs/Biological Effects of Aircraft Noise. DATE DISTR.: 10 November 1976. NO. PAGES: 4. SOURCE: [redacted]. REFERENCES: Radiation Research/UFO Phenomena, Prototype Pilot Biological Psychomotor [testing], [Inertial?] Navigation. THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SUMMARY: Aeroflot officials are actively involved in aerospace medical research. They are concerned with the medical aspects of physical conditioning which impinge upon crewmember performance and have perfected several devices which test pilot biological functioning and motor response ability. Dr. Oral Georgiyevich Akoyev, a noted radiation biologist, explained cosmic ray particles (phosphenes) which are causing Aeroflot pilots to "see" flashes of light during night flying. Dr. [fnu] Akutin, [chemist?] at the Civil Aviation Institute of Leningrad, showed a prototype pilot biological psychomotor testing equipment [device] which measures blood pressure, pulse rate, cardiovascular function and motor ability. The equipment is automatic and testing is completed in approximately three minutes. The Soviets deal with crewmember fatigue in several ways. First, they emphasize and promote physical conditioning. If a crewmember is physically fit, he will be less prone to fatigue and will recover sooner after tiring flights. Aeroflot provides exercise facilities at all major airports, and these facilities are supervised by a well-known athlete. The second thing they do is thoroughly test each crewmember prior to flight to insure his physical fitness and mental alertness. At the present time, these tests are conducted by a medical team headed by a doctor, usually a woman. A crewmember is not allowed to fly if he fails the examination. These tests are now being automated and will take only 1-3 minutes when the prototype equipment becomes operational. Finally, there is a third approach Aeroflot is using — a prophylactorium. Each major airport has one, a 3- to 4-story building set off from the main airport buildings, but easily accessible by foot. These facilities are well landscaped and are designed to provide total rest and relaxation for transient crewmembers. They have a large kitchen [text ends/truncated]. [PAGE 2] [No extractable text — image-only page]