January 28, 2002
QuestChat with Ray Oyung

[ RayOyung/ARC - 9 - 10:34:21 ]
RE: [Susan/NASAChatHost] Good Morning! Welcome to the Chat with Ray Oyung! Good morning Ray thanks for joining us today! What's new with you?
Good Morning Susan...and good morning to everyone who's joining us today for this chat! There's already some great questions so let's get started...and always remember that all your questions are good questions so feel free to type away!

[ RayOyung/ARC - 11 - 10:37:11 ]
RE: [Raymond] When did nasa start
Good question Raymond...and what a fine name you have there...I had to dig up some information to make sure I gave you the right answer for this one... NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) began in 1958 during the beginnings of the space program. It was actually started as NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) in 1915 about 12 years after the first flight of the Wright Brothers...

[ RayOyung/ARC - 12 - 10:40:46 ]
RE: [josh] How l ong does it take to get to mars ?
Another great question for Josh...under current technology, the estimate is 6-12 months to reach Mars...but getting there is only one piece of the planning process. There are issues to be addressed about getting enough food, water, air, and other materials to Mars for the astronauts to use in order to live there for about 6 months. There are lots of smart people working on these issues and more and it's an exciting time to discover what else is on other planets so we can learn more about our own planet and our solar system.

[ RayOyung/ARC - 14 - 10:41:18 ]
RE: [josh] Ray will i get to talk to you on Monday after 10:30 because i will be at School, and i will tell my friend's about you
Thanks Josh...have a great day!

[ RayOyung/ARC - 16 - 10:44:44 ]
RE: [Sarah] Does coke help you stay awake?
Hi Sarah. That's a fine question. Coke and other drinks with caffeine will help people stay awake, but everyone is different. I can't take any caffeinated drinks after 3 or 4 pm otherwise, I'll be up all night! It's also important to note that it's wise to read the labels on these drinks. You'll be surprised what types of drinks have caffeine in them...did you know Mountain Dew has more caffeine than Coke?

[ RayOyung/ARC - 19 - 10:47:51 ]
RE: [Justin] Are the fatigue problems the same for women and men?
These questions are great! Justin, research has been conducted on gender differences and age differences. We're all human and we all follow the same system for sleep. Sometimes a few of us will have trouble falling asleep or getting to sleep which causes us to feel tired during the day. There are lots of sleep specialists to provide help with those who feel they're having some of these difficulties.

[ RayOyung/ARC - 21 - 10:52:16 ]
RE: [Maria] How long should a pilot fly without taking a rest if she is fully rested when she starts flying?
Hi Maria...this is a great question that researchers, pilots, airline management, and government policy makers are asking too. There are limits and rules for commercial airline pilots about how long they can fly. This time can increase if there's more pilots. Basically 2 pilots can fly up to 8 hrs...add one more pilot and the time increases to 10 hrs...and if you have a total of 4 pilots, then the time increases to 12 hrs. For private and recreational pilots there are no limits for flight time. This time is usually restricted by the amount of fuel the airplane can hold, but it's important to know one's body concerning when it's time to land and take a rest!

[ RayOyung/ARC - 24 - 10:57:06 ]
RE: [Tom] do astronauts have trouble sleeping?
Great question Tom. Astronauts do have a hard time sleeping. For one, they're really excited about being in space. I would too! There are also different things that the body must adjust to when living in a microgravity environment. The organs inside the body start to float. The body consists of a lot of water and the fluid shifts. Astronauts have mentioned headache and upset stomachs for the first few hours up to the first few days...but everyone's different. I know some astronauts who have no problems at all. Anyway, we've been doing research with other labs on this issues and you can read more about it with NeuroLab (STS-90) and STS-95 articles in the zteam web site that I've listed.

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 26 - 11:00:59 ]
Wow Great Questions, I am learning a lot!

[ RayOyung/ARC - 27 - 11:01:54 ]
RE: [Emma] When you do research to you make a hypothesis like mrs pritchard says?
Mrs. Pritchard is exactly right Emma. Researchers will determine a question to ask that they would like more information about. An example would be, "How well and how long do pilots sleep on an airplane?" With this question, a study design is built about how to answer this question. Who will be the volunteers for this study? How will the data be collected to answer the question? What do we use to collect this type of data? This is what research is all about. It's kind of like solving a mystery.

[ RayOyung/ARC - 28 - 11:05:48 ]
RE: [Nico] Do different countries have different rules for pilots?
Hi Nico, This is a great question too. Different countries definitely have different rules for their pilots. Some of the operational rules (flight procedures) are similar based on the international aspect of all pilots who fly around the world. However, some rules are only allowed in some airlines. Here's an example. Allowing pilots to nap on the flight deck (one at a time for a 40 minute period during the cruise portion of the flight only) is allowed in Asian, European, and other country airlines but isn't allowed here for U.S. flag carriers (Delta, Continental, United, etc.).

[ RayOyung/ARC - 30 - 11:10:22 ]
RE: [Wendy] Do You like your job? What is the best part?
Hi Wendy, This is a great job for so many different reasons. I like learning new things. I like solving mysteries. I also love flying. This job allows me to interact with people who have similar interests and also allows me to jump into the flight deck of commercial airlines when we collect data for various studies and projects. If I could send the way-back machine so I could start school over, I would still do the same thing I did when I was there...learn all I could about math and science, and always ask questions about why things are they way they are.

[ RayOyung/ARC - 32 - 11:14:21 ]
RE: [Elise] Do you start to make mistakes when you are sleepy?
Hi Elise, Great question! I definitely start to make mistakes when I'm sleepy. However, mistakes come in different forms and there are different levels of sleepiness. I tend to jumble my words when I'm really tired so my sentences out them come wrong ;-) There are researchers who are comparing levels of sleepiness to levels of alcohol intoxication.

[ RayOyung/ARC - 35 - 11:17:38 ]
RE: [Emma] Thanks for answering my question, But when you ask the question how do pilots sleep? Do you have to say what you think the answer will be. Like I predict that pilots sleep well?
That's exactly right Emma. In addition to asking the question, one also provides their idea of what the answer will be. In the example of how well and how long do pilots sleep on the airplane, we thought they would sleep poorly, but actually the first officers of these airplanes sleep pretty well. It's the captains that aren't sleeping as well.

[ RayOyung/ARC - 37 - 11:22:28 ]
RE: [Julie] Do you get tired when you fly your plane?
With all the research that I do about sleep and ways to stay awake, I try my best to get all the rest I can before I fly. This is an important question Julie. Thank you for asking. There are always several factors to consider. Sometimes it's hard to get all the rest I want. I have to determine if there's someone else who will be flying with me. Is that person also a pilot? Will there be several stops along the way? Do I have any caffeinated drinks with me (like Coke)? If I'm by myself and I'm tired. I'll stay on the ground and take a nap before the flight. There's nothing more important than maintaining safety for myself and all those around me.

[ RayOyung/ARC - 39 - 11:26:29 ]
RE: [Bob] How did Charles Lindbergh stay awake? He flew across the Atlantic right?
Hi Bob, You're absolutely right. The flight was from the U.S. to France. Charles Lindbergh was also called "Lucky Lindy" because he was able to stay awake for such a long time. He actually didn't get very good sleep the night before his flight because the reporters were making so much noise in the room next door. Mr. Lindbergh tried to keep one eye open and one eye closed. He also flew close enough to the water to get the ocean spray on his face (kids, please don't try this yourselves!).

[ RayOyung/ARC - 41 - 11:29:08 ]
RE: [Carlos] Ray, what has being the most successful study that you have done? at the same time please explain what has being the best invention that has come out from your studies and how it works?
Hi Carlos, There have been lots of different studies that I've had a chance to take part in and they all have been successful in the sense that we learned a little more about how we can make the aviation environment a safer place to operate.

[RayOyung/ARC - 44 - 11:31:21 ]
RE: [Erica] How can I become a commercial pilot?
Hi Erica, If you want to be a commercial pilot, there are many flight schools that operate at local airports. Remember to ask lots of questions about how they teach, what kind of airplanes they use, how well are the airplanes maintained, and how long it will take to learn how to fly. There are important questions that you have to ask yourself too concerning how much time you can set aside for this goal! Good luck to you!

[Susan/NASAChatHost - 40 - 11:28:59 ]
Well I hope everyone has enjoyed this chat as much as I have.

[ MrsPritchardsclass - 42 - 11:30:20 ]
Thanks Mr. Oyung! Good luck to you!

[ Susan/NASAChatHost - 43 - 11:31:18 ]
Thanks Mrs. Pritchards class, kids and Ray!

[ RayOyung/ARC - 45 - 11:31:57 ]
Thanks everyone for joining in on today's chat. It was a lot of fun!!! Have a great day!