Originally Posted by Machinbird
Now suppose that a physiological event was found to be a factor in this incident. How would you mitigate that?
Didn't the Red Arrows lose a pilot in 2011 for that very reason?
Originally Posted by Tourist
We mitigate by taking extensive annual medicals. What would you suggest?
Would you count on your extensive annual physical exam to prevent you from having a heart attack while at the controls? It basically certifies that you were alive and well on the day of the physical.
G induced physiological effects are part of aeromedical knowledge. Jets tend to pull g longer than their prop cousins due to their greater speed. Long ago, g-suits and g-suit controllers were invented to mitigate the effect.
In general, a g-suit will buy you an extra g, but its effect is somewhat dependent upon how rapidly you apply the g and how well your suit is fitted. Once the blood slips into your lower extremities, the g-suit is not going to put it back into your brain/eyes.
For starters, are g suits required for overhead jet maneuvers? Is that part of the display authorization? Are the g-suit control systems maintained to the same level as other flight essential equipment or are they allowed to degrade?
Yes, the Blue Angels don't use g-suits in their displays because it interferes with their close formation flying. It isn't relevant to the type of display that the Hunter was performing. The Angels do what they have to do, but they do it smoothly.
