BY : PTI

The induction of highly sophisticated aircraft in future was bound to pose new challenges for the Aerospace Medicine Industry in terms of ensuring enhanced mental and physical fitness for pilots, according to Air Chief Marshal F H Major.

Delivering the inaugural address at the 47th annual conference of the Institute fo Aerospace Medicine, he said that these highly manoeuvrable aircraft posed challenges in terms of spatial disorientation and other factors.

"Long duration flying also creates problems like boredom, loneliness, failure of mental alertness, which needs to be addressed by those specialising in this field," he said.

The boom in the aviation industry had thrown up opportunities for support services, including aviation medicine to ensure high operational efficency and flight safety, he said.

ISRO's ambitious man-space programme also called for closer collaboration to study the nuances of the effects of space on the human body, thereby offering new challenges to those specialising in aerospace medicine, he said.

With the burgeoning of the civil aviation sector there was also a need to ensure the fitness of the civilian pilots.

A medical evalaution centre was being set up in Mumbai to evaluate the health of the pilots, he said.

Speaking to reporters later on the issue of Air Force personnel quitting the services, he agreed that the Air Force had to address the challenge of "retaining talent".

"We need to tighten our screws", he said without elaborating further.