John Ernsting
Encyclopedia
Air Vice-Marshal
John "JE" Ernsting CB
, OBE
FRCP
FFOM FRAeS (21 April 1928 – 2 June 2009) was a senior British
military commander and renowned researcher
.
for Boys. From Guy's Hospital
, he qualified in physiology
in 1949 and in medicine
in 1952.
, where he spent his entire military service.
While working in the Altitude Division of the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine
, he worked on Partial-pressure suit assemblies. He was head of this division for twenty years from 1957 to 1977. However, the RAF never issued a partial-pressure suit, preferring instead to use anti-g trousers
in conjunction with pressure jerkins
. He was the aeromedical project officer for the development of the United Kingdom's versions of the Phantom
, F-111
, and Hercules
. He later became chairman of the aeromedical and life support system
working parties for the Tornado
and Typhoon
.
In 1971 he became the RAF Consultant Adviser in Aviation Medicine, a position he held until 1990. Between 1990 and 1993 he served as Dean of Air Force Medicine, then as Senior Consultant (RAF).
Upon leaving the Altitude Division in 1977, he was first appointed Deputy Director of Research (1977–1985), then Director of Research (1985–1988), before becoming Commandant of the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine (1986–1992). However, between 1979 and 1980, Ernsting spent a sabbatical year
at the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine.
He was Queen Elizabeth II's honorary surgeon from 1989 to 1993.
He retired from the RAF on 21 April 1993.
, where he taught a Human and applied physiology MSc course. Later, KCL asked him to establish a research laboratory. He was active both in research and in training undergraduate and postgraduate students for 16 years. In addition to his position at KCL, he was a visiting professor at Imperial College, London. In 1998, Ernsting was appointed Head of the Human Physiology and Aerospace Medicine Group of the Guy's, King's and St Thomas's School of Biomedical Sciences.
He was the Honorary Civil Consultant in Aviation Medicine to the Royal Air Force. He was also an aeromedical adviser to BAE Systems
, and a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association. Ernsting was an international ambassador for aviation medicine. He was President of the International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine from 1995-1997.
Ernsting, was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his work in connection with the Lightning
and Canberra
aircraft.
He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath on 31 December 1991, on completion of his tenure as Commandant of the RAF Institute of Aviation.
Ernsting received the Louis H. Bauer
Award from the Aerospace Medical Association
in 2002.
In May 2008 Ernsting was awarded the title of honoris causa by PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil in recognition of his distinguished contribution to the field of Aerospace Physiology. He was further honoured with the dedication of a research laboratory in his name, the John Ernsting Aerospace Physiology Laboratory, at the Microgravity Centre, PUCRS, coordinated by Professor Thais Russomano
.
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
John "JE" Ernsting CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
FRCP
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
FFOM FRAeS (21 April 1928 – 2 June 2009) was a senior British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
military commander and renowned researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
.
Early life
He was educated at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar SchoolChislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School
Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School is a mixed grammar school located in Hurst Road , Sidcup in the London Borough of Bexley, England...
for Boys. From Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
, he qualified in physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
in 1949 and in medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
in 1952.
Military career
In 1954, Ernsting was commissioned into the RAF Medical BranchRAF Medical Branch
The Royal Air Force Medical Services is the branch of the Royal Air Force that provides health care at home and on deployed operations to RAF service personnel. Medical officers are the doctors of the RAF and have specialist expertise in aviation medicine to support aircrew and their protective...
, where he spent his entire military service.
While working in the Altitude Division of the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine
RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine
The Royal Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine was a British Royal Air Force aviation medicine research unit between 1945 and 1994.- Early days :The RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine was opened on 30 April 1945 by the Princess Royal...
, he worked on Partial-pressure suit assemblies. He was head of this division for twenty years from 1957 to 1977. However, the RAF never issued a partial-pressure suit, preferring instead to use anti-g trousers
G-suit
A G-suit, or the more accurately named anti-G suit, is worn by aviators and astronauts who are subject to high levels of acceleration force . It is designed to prevent a black-out and G-LOC caused by the blood pooling in the lower part of the body when under acceleration, thus depriving the...
in conjunction with pressure jerkins
Pressure suit
A pressure suit is a protective suit worn by high-altitude pilots who may fly at altitudes where the air pressure is too low for an unprotected person to survive, even breathing pure oxygen at positive pressure. Such suits may be either full-pressure or partial-pressure...
. He was the aeromedical project officer for the development of the United Kingdom's versions of the Phantom
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
, F-111
General Dynamics F-111
The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...
, and Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
. He later became chairman of the aeromedical and life support system
Life support system
In human spaceflight, a life support system is a group of devices that allow a human being to survive in space.US government space agency NASA,and private spaceflight companies...
working parties for the Tornado
Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy...
and Typhoon
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
.
In 1971 he became the RAF Consultant Adviser in Aviation Medicine, a position he held until 1990. Between 1990 and 1993 he served as Dean of Air Force Medicine, then as Senior Consultant (RAF).
Upon leaving the Altitude Division in 1977, he was first appointed Deputy Director of Research (1977–1985), then Director of Research (1985–1988), before becoming Commandant of the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine (1986–1992). However, between 1979 and 1980, Ernsting spent a sabbatical year
Sabbatical year
Sabbatical or a sabbatical is a rest from work, or a hiatus, often lasting from two months to a year. The concept of sabbatical has a source in shmita, described several places in the Bible...
at the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine.
He was Queen Elizabeth II's honorary surgeon from 1989 to 1993.
He retired from the RAF on 21 April 1993.
Later life and death
On retiring from the RAF, Ernsting became a visiting professor at King's College LondonKing's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, where he taught a Human and applied physiology MSc course. Later, KCL asked him to establish a research laboratory. He was active both in research and in training undergraduate and postgraduate students for 16 years. In addition to his position at KCL, he was a visiting professor at Imperial College, London. In 1998, Ernsting was appointed Head of the Human Physiology and Aerospace Medicine Group of the Guy's, King's and St Thomas's School of Biomedical Sciences.
He was the Honorary Civil Consultant in Aviation Medicine to the Royal Air Force. He was also an aeromedical adviser to BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
, and a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association. Ernsting was an international ambassador for aviation medicine. He was President of the International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine from 1995-1997.
Awards
On 1 January 1958, the then Acting Squadron LeaderSquadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
Ernsting, was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his work in connection with the Lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
and Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
aircraft.
He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath on 31 December 1991, on completion of his tenure as Commandant of the RAF Institute of Aviation.
Ernsting received the Louis H. Bauer
Louis H. Bauer
Louis Hopewell Bauer M.D. was an American doctor who founded the Aerospace Medical Association in 1929. Dr. Bauer was the first medical director of the Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce which became the Federal Aviation Administration .- Career :He was Commandant of the School of...
Award from the Aerospace Medical Association
Aerospace Medical Association
The Aerospace Medical Association is the largest professional organization in the fields of aviation, space, and environmental medicine. The AsMA membership includes aerospace and hyperbaric medicine specialists, scientists, flight nurses, physiologists, and researchers from all over the world.-...
in 2002.
In May 2008 Ernsting was awarded the title of honoris causa by PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil in recognition of his distinguished contribution to the field of Aerospace Physiology. He was further honoured with the dedication of a research laboratory in his name, the John Ernsting Aerospace Physiology Laboratory, at the Microgravity Centre, PUCRS, coordinated by Professor Thais Russomano
Thais Russomano
Thais Russomano MD, MSc, PhD is a Brazilian doctor and scientific researcher specialising in Space medicine. She is founder and coordinator of the Microgravity Centre at PUCRS university, Porto Alegre, Brazil, establishing it in 1999 as the first educational and research centre in Space Life...
.