The Man Behind High-Speed Safety Standards



At Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico on December 10, 1954, the Sonic Wind No. 1 rocket sled let loose 40,000 pounds of thrust and propelled Air Force flight surgeon Col. John Stapp more than 3,000 feet in a few seconds. He came to a stop just as fast and experienced a force equivalent to approximately four tons (46.2 g). Although bruised and badly shaken, Stapp survived without permanent injury and walked away with the world land speed record — 632mph — which is faster than a 45 caliber bullet shot from a pistol. Shortly afterward, Stapp commented on the experience and what it felt like: “I felt a sensation in the eyes…somewhat like the extraction of a molar without anesthetic.” That didn't deter Stapp from wanting to go even faster. He planned to add a few more solid fuel rocket motors to the back of the sled and break the 1,000 mph threshold, but his Air Force superiors said no because they didn’t believe he would survive. Few safety guidelines and standards existed at the time and Stapp wanted to understand human responses to acceleration, deceleration, and windblast to improve pilot safety. He pioneered the new field of aeromedicine. Stapp’s research in the Air Force also spilled over into automobile safety. His work led to the safety standards and technologies we take for granted today. The benefits of Stapp’s research are evident every time a driver pulls on a seat belt or a jet pilot safely ejects from a damaged aircraft.