February 19, 1998
QuestChat with Ray Oyung

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 10 - 10:02:26 ]
Good Morning Ray! Good morning kids send your questions now for Ray!

[ Ray/Ames - 11 - 10:02:51 ]
Good morning all!

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 12 - 10:03:29 ]
Welcome Carl and Amanda!

[ Sarah/Greenmeadow - 6 - 09:59:17 ]
Does it matter if you travel east or west when you get jet lag?

[ Ray/Ames - 13 - 10:03:39 ]
I'll start with Sarah's question...which is a good one.

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 15 - 10:03:59 ]
Welcome Sarah!

[ Amanda/WhiteDeerHighSchool - 23 - 10:08:41 ]
I don't actually know.

[ Ray/Ames - 17 - 10:04:59 ]
Sarah, The circadian rhythms that we each have tends to like longer days. By going westbound, it extends the day and is much easier to adjust to than flying eastbound.

[ Amanda/WhiteDeerHighSchool - 16 - 10:04:33 ]
hi susan, i'm sorry that i have registered before for others and have not attended, there was a mix up on the time zones

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 18 - 10:05:23 ]
Glad you're here! Speaking of time zone questions do you have a question for Ray?

[ Ray/Ames - 21 - 10:07:54 ]
Have you taken any trips and noticed this with yourself or those you were with?

[ Sarah/Greenmeadow - 25 - 10:10:10 ]
Wen my family went to europe from California I was tired both ways!! but my dad thought one way was better.

[ Ray/Ames - 24 - 10:10:03 ]
RE: [Carl/homeschooled] What kind of planes do you use in your tests?
Hi Carl, Most of the planes that we've used in our tests have been large commercial jets...Boeing 767 and 747 type airplanes. We've also finished a study in a corporate Gulfstream IV.

[ Ray/Ames - 26 - 10:12:53 ]
RE: [Amanda/WhiteDeerHighSchool] have you always wanted do this?
Hi Amanda, I've always had a eye on being up in the air. My dad would take my brother and I to see airshows that were in town (sometimes here at Moffett!) and also built small remote control model airplanes at home. This along with encouragement to do things I wanted to do helped me along the way and here I am.

[ Amanda/WhiteDeerHighSchool - 27 - 10:13:45 ]
Thanks!

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 29 - 10:15:08 ]
Hi Alex!

[ Ray/Ames - 30 - 10:15:14 ]
RE: [Amanda/WhiteDeerHighSchool] can you tell any difference when you enter a new time zone in the air?
Hard to tell changes in time zones while in the air. Since things are happening physiologically, the perception of jetlag occurs after landing when the body feels like it's daytime, but it's night time at the airport!

[ Ray/Ames - 32 - 10:18:01 ]
RE: [Sarah/Greenmeadow] Thanks Ray, What are circadian rhythms? I always make me think of a cricket or something?
The circadian rhythm is a biological clock that helps us determine when it's time to go to bed and time to wake up. It's dynamic and moves up and down (like a sine wave) throughout the day. Have you ever felt tired in the late afternoon around 3-5 p.m.? This is normal and is the circadian rhythm at work.

[ Ray/Ames - 34 - 10:21:41 ]
RE: [Alex-Alex/homeschool] Sorry I'm late. I had some work I wanted to get done. What country are you from? Have you been doing any tests with the SR-71?
Hi Alex, I was born and raised in San Francisco. My father also grew up here, but mom was born in Hong Kong. I haven't done any tests with the SR-71 personally.

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 36 - 10:24:30 ]
RE: [Amanda/WhiteDeerHighSchool] I'm sorry, but I must leave because our lunch period is over. Thanks for all of the information Ray and best wishes in all!
Bye Amanda, check the chat schedule we'll have some more chats soon!

[ Ray/Ames - 37 - 10:24:37 ]
RE: [Amanda/WhiteDeerHighSchool] Thanks again! How often are you in the air a week approximately?
The studies dictate how often I'm flying. Our last field study took me from Taipei, Taiwan to Auckland or Christchurch, New Zealand twice a week for 6 weeks. We flew from 8p.m. (Taipei time) to 1:30p.m. the following day (New Zealand time). Talking about jetlag!

[ Ray/Ames - 39 - 10:27:02 ]
RE: [Sarah/Greenmeadow] Does temperature affect pilot fatigue?
Hi Sarah, Temperature is an environmental factor which may cause fatigue. There are not many studies that show to what extent though.

[ Ray/Ames - 40 - 10:28:01 ]
Bye Amanda. Nice chatting with you!

[ Ray/Ames - 44 - 10:32:33 ]
RE: [Alex-Alex/homeschool] On an EEG, when a person is going at a speed of 1800 to 2010 mph what does the wave do? And why does it do that?
Hi Alex, EEG stands for electroencephalography which really is a big word for brain waves. These brain waves change with varying states of wake and sleep. If I hooked you up with electrodes to measure your brain wave activity, I would be able to tell if you were awake, asleep, in deep sleep, in light sleep, or in REM (rapid eye movement or dreaming) sleep. No matter how fast or slow someone is moving, these brain waves will still remain the same.

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 45 - 10:34:32 ]
RE: [Alex-Alex/homeschool] I did not read all your bioghrufy. Is this spelled right? What did you want to become at first?
Close Alex, biography.

[ Ray/Ames - 46 - 10:35:51 ]
RE: [Carl/homeschooled] How manny people do you normaly fly with?
There's usually 2 of us on the field study team. However, the Gulfstream IV corporate flight only allowed for one researcher to go. That was a pretty long flight too. It started in New Orleans and landed in Sydney, Australia 23 and a half hours later!

[ Alex-Alex/homeschool - 48 - 10:39:15 ]
Do you know any internet sites on coins, area 51, SR-71?

[ Ray/Ames - 50 - 10:41:29 ]
RE: [Sarah/Greenmeadow] Ray in the journal about the pilot who crashed I wanted to hear more about why he crashed and what he should have done differently. Are you going to write another joourhal or can you say something about that?
Hi Sarah, The pilot who spoke in our workshop last week gave us a lot of insight as to the "feel" on the flight deck minutes before the accident. The captain and first officer were on duty over 12 hours before the accident. Because this duty period was considered legal (within the guidelines of the Federal Aviation Regulations), the pilots were able to fly. I'll give more details in a later journal, but I can answer any specific questions you might have at this time.

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 51 - 10:41:56 ]
RE: [Alex-Alex/homeschool] WHERE ARE YOU SUSAN?
I'm here Alex, I 'll get back to you on the SR-71 sites. I know that there are some great pictures of it at Dryden Flight Research Center's picture archive Have you been there?

[ Carl/homeschooled - 55 - 10:45:17 ]
Have you heard of the F-16 xl?

[ Alex-Alex/homeschool - 54 - 10:43:54 ]
I haven't herd of that plane!

[ Carl/homeschooled - 55 - 10:45:17 ]
It was/is a test arcraft for perferated wings. Supposedly able to cut turbulence by 70% at suppersonic speed :)

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 56 - 10:45:23 ]
RE: [Alex-Alex/homeschool] No I haven't!!! Whats the address?
http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/gallery/photo/index.html They have pictures of the F-16xl too!

[ Alex-Alex/homeschool - 57 - 10:45:58 ]
Cool!!!

[ Ray/Ames - 58 - 10:46:24 ]
RE: [Alex-Alex/homeschool] I did not read all your bioghrufy. Is this spelled right? What did you want to become at first?
In high school, I liked chemistry (my father was a chemist and pharmacist in the Air Force) and other science courses. I thought I'd like to be a pharmacist and had lots of support from the folks. A high school counselor gave me a bit of advice and I'll pass it on to everyone here. If there's something that interests you in a career, seek out opportunities to determine if that's what you really want to do. After working in a pharmacy while attending college, it was much different that what I thought it would be like.

[ Carl/homeschooled - 59 - 10:47:40 ]
Have you ever flown a plane for more than 24 hours Ray?

[ Ray/Ames - 60 - 10:48:33 ]
RE: [Carl/homeschooled] It was/is a test arcraft for perferated wings. Supposedly able to cut turbulence by 70% at suppersonic speed :)
I've never heard of the F-16XL either. Sounds impressive. Are you interested in designing or flying airplanes, Carl?

[ Ray/Ames - 63 - 10:51:30 ]
RE: [Alex-Alex/homeschool] What will happen if you hook the EEG to a plant or a jelly fish?
I've never hooked up a plant of jellyfish with electrodes. I'm not sure what kind of activity I would see. The brain waves I see from a human subject is the patterns of electrical activity surrounding the area that each electrode is placed.

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 64 - 10:51:50 ]
Whoa! Only ten minutes left, time flies, sorry I couldn't resist! Get some good last questions in for Ray!!

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 65 - 10:54:03 ]
RE: [Carl/homeschooled] Yup I know several people who worked on the Comanche and the F-22 but I'm probably gona wind up with a degree in computer science.
Computer science is great for aero design these days Carl!

[ Ray/Ames - 66 - 10:54:13 ]
RE: [Alex-Alex/homeschool] I'm intrested in doing that! Only top secret planes, or classified planes.
Keep up the studies. Math and physics are an important part in the realm of aerodynamics, but stay well rounded. Stay focused on the history, English, and other humanities courses.

[ Ray/Ames - 68 - 10:56:35 ]
RE: [Susan/NASAChatHost] Computer science is great for aero design these days Carl!
Susan's right on the money. There are lots of computer science folks our here working on high speed transport, tilt rotor, and helicopter design...

[ Alex-Alex/homeschool - 69 - 10:56:41 ]
Carl, do you know sites on the YF-22 and the YF-23 and sites on the U-2 and the B-2?

[ Carl/homeschooled - 70 - 10:57:36 ]
Do you wind up in much realy bad weather in those tropical countries?

[ Carl/homeschooled - 71 - 10:58:18 ]
umm let me find some alex

[ Ray/Ames - 72 - 10:59:57 ]
RE: [Carl/homeschooled] Have you ever flown a plane for more than 24 hours Ray?
The longest I've flown an airplane for is 4 hours non stop and about 8 hours in a day. That's about all I can tolerate. The planes that I fly are under 12,500 lbs. and propeller driven. Not blazing fast, but still lots of fun. There's nothing like seeing the view from 8,000 feet...

[ Carl/homeschooled - 73 - 10:59:57 ]
sorry if you have seen this befor but its the best one http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 75 - 11:03:25 ]
Well this has been a terrific chat! I'm so grateful Ray for all you educational answers! We've learned lots. Check the chat schedule everyone we'll be scheduling some more great chats!!

[ Ray/Ames - 76 - 11:03:32 ]
RE: [Sarah/Greenmeadow] Thansk for your answer, Whats the best thing to avoid jet lag?
There are several ways to avoid jetlag and I'll provide some countermeasures for you in the next journal article. It seems we're almost out of time but I leave you with this. There are preventive measures you can do several days before going on a trip. There are lots of things you can do while on the trip too. This includes strategic caffeine consumption (which doesn't have to be coffee-coke, mountain dew, and chocolate have caffeine too). I'll give you more later.

[ Carl/homeschooled - 78 - 11:05:22 ]
Thanks for the answers

[ Ray/Ames - 79 - 11:06:46 ]
RE: [Carl/homeschooled] Ray I like the view from 200 feet in a helicopter going 100-140 mph
200 feet in a helocopter sounds exciting. Are you the driver?

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 80 - 11:07:54 ]
RE: [Alex-Alex/homeschool] By Carl, Ray and Susan. Susan, when I asked you where you were, I meant--where in the US are you located?
Alex, we, Ray and I are at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, next to Mountain View California, 35 miles south of San Francisco and 10 or 15 miles north of San Jose, look it up on a map

[ Carl/homeschooled - 81 - 11:09:05 ]
I have been both driver and passenger... Its funner to drive

[ Ray/Ames - 82 - 11:09:40 ]
I've enjoyed the chat this morning and would like to thank all of you for participating. There's a ton of things to learn from all the people on the Aerospace Team. I wish you all the best, and how about a round of thanks to Susan for setting these great chat sessions up! Hope to talk with all of you again soon.

[ Carl/homeschooled - 83 - 11:10:25 ]
see ya guys

Additional Answers from Ray Oyung