A Travel Sick Pilot?!

[r200biggles]

I occasionally get travel sickness when flying, usually when it is turbulant and hot. Even though I want to be a professional pilot, I feel that this may make my life very unconfortable at times. How many pilots out there have travel sickness?

[AerBabe]

If you fly frequently you should find that any degree of nausea will lessen. But after a period away from flying you'll be back to square one. At least that's what I've read/been told, but I don't suffer myself! It sounds like the heat aggravates it for you, so buy yourself a nice lightweight set of flying clothes. Check out some of the outdoor shops for materials designed to keep you cool. Also be careful about what and when you eat, make sure you get plenty of sleep etc etc.
And good luck! :)

[r200biggles]

Yeah, it sure is the heat that aggrevates me! Next time i'll be flying with the window open (on the C-152)!
Thanks for your reply AerBabe.

[MMEMatty]

On the subject of eating, i've heard it sometimes helps to eat barley sugar, or similar, something not too sweet or sickly, polo mints for example.

Also, if you eat a light meal, again, nothing to strong, like a ham sandwich before flying, that can help.

I occasionally suffer from air sickness, and i can say that those things you buy that you wear on your wrist like an arm band work for me

[AerBabe]

Good point Matty, apparently stem ginger helps too :)
Rubbing peppermint oil into your stomach is another good one... but probably not recommended if you're flying as captain! :D

[Captain Stable]

Peppermint or spearmint is an aromatherapy remedy against motion sickness.

One guy I used to know used to put a drop of peppermint oil on the collar of his growbag each time he flew and he told me he didn't have trouble with motion sickness thereafter.

[fantom]

everyone gets travel sickness to one degree or another. put me in the back of a coach and I will be green. same as back of an aircraft or a car.
at the front, however, things change. it will go away in a very short time if you are driving..the coach; car or the aircraft.
if you are worried about your potential professional career, just forget the percieved problem - you probably have not got one (chronic afflictions apart).

good luck!

:p

[globalbabe]

You can buy "Opies" ginger from Waitrose. It comes in two varieties: crystallised stem ginger and Ming ginger slices.BE WARNED!!!The slices ar VERY hot and I have found it best to nibble on these. The crystallised cubes are more palatable. I also got quite hot when I started flying, usually 10 mins to landing-no jokes please! Flight crew suggested I monitor the situation and take note of aircraft type. They also explained it may be something to do withthe air flow and engines and pressure. It made sense when they explained but I'm afraid I'm not sufficiently technicallly minded to be able to explain it to someone else. All I can say is that the more you fly the sickness tends to lessen and the ginger helps. Believe me, circling round Venice for an hour and a half in a thunderstorm with the possibility of diverting and the ginger worked for me- coupled with a fab crew to see me through of course. I think you get your air wings like you get your sea legs! If you can't get hold of the ginger I mentioned then try a Canada Dry Ginger Ale from the minerals drawer.(Although carbonated drinks bring their own problems!!!!!!) Also, like others have suggested, sucking on barley sugar or some form of peppermint can also help. You'll be fine. :) :)

[PilotsPal]

Dehydration will certainly make any nauseous tendencies feel much worse so remember to drink plenty of water.

[goatgruff]

I used to do a lot of flying (as a passenger) in and around the nether regions of Scotland in all weathers, within a short period of time I got used to the severe turbulance and rarely felt ill (unless it was self inflicted!:D ).

Good advice has been given so far, I would thoroughly recommend that you ensure you're thoroughly hydrated and rested before flying. Mints with a low sugar content while flying are also a good remedy, as is pure tomato juice with plenty of ice (no vodka or lea & perrins;) ), or just cold water in small amounts.

Believe me, you're not alone in suffering, a days sortie of recurrency training for re- hired pilots (post 9/11/01), on a large turbo prop had to be scrubbed because all of them got air sick - and they were only in the radar pattern! :eek:

[Penguina]

The other thing that I find leads to sickness is being nervous, so it would probably help not to worry about the effect on your career!

[canberra]

im very lucky ive never suffered from motion sickness, not even aa a kid. i didnt even feel bad after doing a mad calibration in an aurora!

[airbuslad]

Hi r200biggles,

I remember as a kid I would almost always get sick in the back of the 727 and my parents would always say to me while I was puking, "So you want to be a pilot eh?". On my first training flight in a C172 I got sick also. Needless to say I was really hesitant on my chosen career. I am glad that I stuck to it. I ever really ever got sick again. I believe alot of it is mental. Once you actually sit up front and have to work (if you can call it work), you never get sick. Generally in all the airplanes that I have flown the ventilation up front is good. Just a few weeks ago I got sick on the coach taking us to the airport and was looking forward to getting into the airplane. Dont let the travel sickness thing prevent you from having a great career.

Take care

[Pilot Pete]

I too was air sick on my first ever trial lesson, although I never got any carrots and peas up! Never had it since.

What causes it is the fluid in your otoliths (the tubes in your ear which tell you which way up you are) Normally it is due to movement about the three axis and worsened by lack of input from the eyes confirming what the ear is telling your brain; like sitting in the passenger cabin looking out f the side window whilst in cloud as we pull lots of 'G' up front!

Have you ever sat in a car and read a book? This can give you the same effect, especially on a twisty A road and especially if you keep moving your head about too. This is why people who get car sick tend to get it in the back, but not so much in the front (a better view giving them an horizon to focus on), again exacerbated in kids who tend to sit lower down and don't get a full view out of the side windows in certain cars.

When flying GA, if you get it, try to fly straight and level and stop moving your head around. If you do not already have control, handling can help to alleviate it (not sure how it works, perhaps it gets you doing something and stops you thinking about it). I have not flown with any commercial pilots who get it, I think the view out of an airliner around virtually 270 degrees of sky can help, as does the instrument presentation. I have never had it since my first time up, but it concerned me at that point as to whether I'd be able to cope if I was going to feel like that every time. What I don't think helped then was the instructor was demonstrating the effects of controls when you experience yawing, which is not a usual movement for a land lubber to have felt before!

Hope that helps.

PP

[411A]

Recall many many years ago when I was instructing an instrument student in his Cessna 182, at 2am on the ILS R25L at KLAX, he tosses his cookies, all over the panel.
Ugh, what a mess.

At the sight of this, I didn't feel too good either.

We landed and taxied to the CAL hangar and he cleaned up himself, and his aeroplane.
He told me then...'i'll never do that again, too tough to clean'.

[Jetstream Rider]

Biggles,

Don't worry about it, you will be fine once you start to drive.
During Aeros training I felt sick occasionally, but the more you practice the better it gets. After a long break from Aeros, I went up in an Extra and when I got back re surfaced the apron with my lunch. All you need is to work up to it slowly. If you have some training to do, try 30 minute flights initially and build up to longer ones if you need to. Try to fly more than once on any day as well if you can. Two 30 min trips might be better than one hour long trip for instance.

Things that I found made it worse;
Heat
Tension (shouting instructor!)
De hydration
Tiredness
Disorientation
Exhaust smells
Hunger

You might find that alcohol affects how sick you feel as well. If you are a passenger than a hangover or consumption on board will likely make you feel worse. Of course, if you are flying yourself, then that shouldn't be a factor.

My Dad found Polo mints a real help and my Cousin used 'sea bands' with great success.

In my day to day job, I have never had a problem, either in turboprops or jets (touch wood!). Don't let it stop you.

Apparently Nelson was sick on every voyage!

[BANANASBANANAS]

If you are determined enough you can overcome it. I was medically suspended from RAF FJ training because of airsickness. I could just about cope with the Jet Provost at 400 knots and 6g but I needed 3 hands to fly the (550 knots/8g) Hawk. One each for stick, throttle and blue bag. I was given the desensitisation course at Farnborough but didn't help my case by hurling all over the station commander at Honnington in a Hunter T7 whilst holding prior to the course.....Very sorry Group Captain Shaw!

I "talked" my way into a multi engine course and am now flying commercially in LHS of B767. Its 23 years since I started flying and I still feel very ill when paxing, and trying to read a book in a car or coach is guaranteed chunder time. However, its now rare for me to feel anything more than mild discomfort when operating and, if really necessary, the first class superloo is a joy to throw up in!