Nausea

[747dreamliner]

Hi! I did my first Glider flight yesterday, Instructor pilot pushed me upto 3 Gs 2 or 3 times (without me knowing about it). After that I felt sick the whole day. Is it natural for the fist time and will I get used to it, or do I have to say goodbye to flying? Please help me with this!
BTW, I have a slight fever and I have had a cold for almost a week, can it be the cause?

[DuffyDuck]

Hey, you don´t have to worry about that. normally it is different whether your fly as a passenger oder as a pilot. you will see. i know some guys from my gliding club who still get sick when flying as passenger.
But i know some, who still get sick after about an hour of flying by themselves. you could handle that by taking certain medications against travensickness (but ask a doctor because some have sideeffects!!!). I would wait what happens and then decide.
have fun with your training and don´t worry.

[747dreamliner]

Thanks a billion! You can't imagine how relax I feel now!

[DuffyDuck]

By the way, if you really get sick another time, just throw up. you will immediately feel better and you´ll probably be able to enjoy the rest of the day.
Otherwise, you feel sick all day long in the worst case.

[Old Smokey]

747dreamliner,

After all of about 5 seconds consideration of your dilemma, I conclude that you're normal.

I know of very few pilots on their early flights who aren't a little fazed if subjected to high 'G' loads. On my own first or second training flights, my instructor would say "Let me show you a roll, loop etc"., it gave me a buzz, but the "G", particularly the negative sort would make me feel strange for a few hours afterwards. In later times I became an aerobatics addict, actually ENJOYING the G forces (but that's just me), and later did a fair amount of advanced test flying, some of which rivalled Disneyland rides in their fervour.

That was a few years ago, now, after a few decades of 1G Airline flying don't particularly enjoy the 'wild' rides like I used to. Once in a while my son plugs me into a Tiger Moth again, and reminds me that I can still fly, and the old "Gimme some of that G magic" returns:)

It will grow on you, it's all about adaptation, something that the human animal is very good at:ok:

Regards,

Old Smokey

[ElFot]

I train cadets for 6 years now and i've seen many of nausea cases.
Most of them got over it pretty soon.
The ones that got rejected because of this, either had a health problem with their stomachs (or inner ears) or they couldn't stop thinking about it inflight.

So, if it happens to you continusly for 3 or 4 flights, first ask a doctor and have some tests.
If you're ok, the best advice i can give you is "Stop Thinking About It" and especially during flight.
You're up there to enjoy yourself, don't let these "i'll get dizzy" thoughts ruin it. :ok:

[747dreamliner]

Dear Old Smokey,
By checking your previous posts, i recognized your answers to people of my age is always warm hearted and encouraging. Thanks Captain :)
Dear Elfot, I am again going to fly in 3 or 4 days. I will try my best to do what you said. If I failed I will take some motion sickness tablets! Upset stomach or inner ear problems shouldnt reject me! :ok:
Regards,
James

[ElFot]

As DuffyDuck said, it makes a big difference if you're in control of the aircraft or not.
If you're flying, your mind stays focused at what you're doing at the time and you also expect the onset of the G's, but if you aren't, it "slides" to the "what if i get dizzy now :yuk:" thoughts and the G's get you unprepared.
Its the same with drivers and passengers of road vehicles, the driver never gets dizzy (unless he has a health problem).

So, explain to your instructor that you want him to try to instruct verbally and demonstrate as less as possible, so that you fly as much as possible. ;)

[ElFot]

Superpilot, my advices for 747dreamliner stand for your case also.
Try to have some relative health exams (inner ear & stomach) to eliminate any health issues.
If there aren't any, try not to think about it as you fly (i know it's very difficult if it happened to you more than once) by flying the plane as much as you can (keeping your mind task filled will not allow it to think about nausea).

Finally, "DON'T GO SOLO UNTIL YOU OVERCOME THE PROBLEM".:=
I can not overemphasize this last advice.

[Googlewac]

I get nausea when flying and have been told that this will pass with continued flying.
If I take medication to prevent nausea will it prevent my body from naturally adapting to not having nausea or do I have to "go thru the pain of it" in order to prevent it for good.
Cheers.

[ElFot]

If I take medication to prevent nausea will it prevent my body from naturally adapting to not having nausea or do I have to "go thru the pain of it" in order to prevent it for good.

Nausea pills will certainly help you, BUT...,
you'll become addicted to them, because you will feel that if you fly without taking them, you'll get nausea again.
So, you better not go this way :=

If there's no health problem, you should overcome nausea after two or three flights.
Man was not made to fly, it takes some time getting used to it.
Try to fly as frequently as possible at the beggining.

[TheSerb]

When I threw up due to LOC SEV TURB (from SIGMET), instructor just grinned and gave me following advise:
- Spin on your office chair until you get dizzy and green. Throw up. Do it until you are not dizzy anymore. :}

[747dreamliner]

I have done about 22 flights in the past 2 weeks and I feel much better now. However if we find a good thermal and go over it I feel a bit sick :yuk: . TheSerb, did what you say work for you? If yes I am gonna start spinning.

[ElFot]

A spinning chair can only help as a spatial disorientation training device.
It will not help with nausea problems.

[ElFot]

I have done about 22 flights in the past 2 weeks and I feel much better now.

Glad to hear that 747dreamliner, good for you. :D

However if we find a good thermal and go over it I feel a bit sick :yuk: .

No pilot feels good during negative G's.

[747dreamliner]

Elfot you gave me more confidence.:)
Thx and Fair winds,:cool:

[TheSerb]

Hi,
Sorry for a bit late reply.

Personally I have not used "spinning chair" technique. My CFI said though that it helped some students. If it helped in spatial orientation or nausea I didnt ask.
I rather stopped eating Pizza Pepperoni+Pepsi Max+Snickers before flight and started with whole grain bread and light snacks. It helped a lot.
Additionally, I turn open the vent system to almost max during low sun days to battle the heat.

Low Gs make my stomack butterflies become huge seagulls :}

Oh and last advice from CFI was that nausea is also related to your stress level and confidence level. I.e. psychologically. Simply, trust in plane and your abilities and nausea will be reduced.

This old C172 lady has flown into some turbulence for more than 30 years and it holds, so yeah it helps to relax in SEV TURB :}

Hope it helped.

[747dreamliner]

Hi! thank you for your answer. sure it helped.
2 days ago I decided to do the spin chair but I think I pushed so much after 2 minutes of spinning I :yuk: all over. I think I should have started with shorter spins. I really have no Idea whats wrong with me but Its not getting sick thats bothering me cause I dont get sick any more. Its my head which becomes a bit heavy and radiates to my neck for 5 or 6 hours afterwards. Maybe my neck is a bit weak or maybe my CNS wasnt made for flying. However I didnt have any problem in EEG or other tests!
But anyway, thank you serb. wish you nice flying.