When I jumped from C-130's you could set your watch by my hurling. Five minutes after take-off. I would get aboard, stow my container and grab a sick bag, simple as that.
The only time I ever came close to hurling as an ALM was after a particularly "adventurous" night out.
For me the issue was the long "rolling" motion of the C-130 on low level - it's more like a ship and I was always horrifically sea-sick as a kid. On helicopters the motion tends to be more "random" and I seemed not to suffer - though the point made above about "having something to do" may also be relevant.
Since flying I have noticed that I manage a lot better on the water too, especially on small boats like dive boats and game fishing boats... To be honest though I haven't been on anything bigger than about 100' that rolls more than "chops" about on the water but I have been in dozens of smaller boats in rough seas and, at worst, have only felt queazy.
Funny Story:
We had a guy on the squadron who would rag me rotten about my air sickness. He would always claim that he had never, ever, thrown up. (Apparently, that makes him tough... Frankly, I think that hurling to the point of "dry heaves" for two hours before launching myself from the aircraft and humping 100lbs of kit for three hours made me a bit tougher
)
So, the jump turns out to be on a nice hot summers day and, for some unknown reason, the back of the Herc seems to smell a lot worse than usual. In addition, and for reasons none of us knew, we also sat somewhere out on the peri track with the tailgate down and engines turning and burning, (think exhaust fumes...), for about 30-45 minutes. I'm ready to honk before we even take off such is my Pavlovian reaction to the scenario. Off we go and everyone synched their watches by me. 1 1/2 hours later and I'm merrily dry heaving like a champ and we are stood up and begin the pre-jump process with our hero across the aircraft from me.
Parachute helmets are a little different from the old tin hats in that they have a strap from the chinstrap, through a buckle in the back of the helmet and back down to the other side of the chin strap. Furthermore, the two straps down the side of your face can be tightened. Usually a para will put the helmet on with side straps and back strap fairly loose. When the "Stand up, fit equipment" order is given most will tighten the back strap a little and when number 1 is called to the door people will pull down really hard on the two side straps to tighten them completely. Once done the helmet cannot come off in the slipstream or any other mishap, (your head will probably leave your body before the helmet comes off).
So, we've been stood up, we've fitted equipment and number one has been called to the door so was are "all battened down". We have less than a minute before number 1 gets the green light and we all go. I get a tap on my shoulder and look round to find our hero with his eyes bulging like -->
his lips drawn back and the contents of his stomach being filtered through his teeth and out of his nose - (he can't open his mouth now the straps are all tight). He's still heaving when we see the red light come on, (30 seconds or less).
It is the only time I have ever left the aircraft laughing so hard I had to be helped out by the dispatcher.
Funnily enough he was a lot easier on the ragging in the future...
