Help!

[AirbusPilot]

Hello all,

Recently starded my PPL on the C152, now im having a problem, both times that i have flown i always end up AirSick after 10/15 into the flight.

Just for information i have flown many times as a passenger on Airliners and never been air sick.

Im just looking for some advice, is this just a passenger thing and it will go away after a few lessons, or this is a psicological/phisical thing where it will need medical attention.


Many Thanks
JP

[SOPS]

So I guess you are not really an Airbus pilot. You can buy wrist bands, that are actually for sea sickness, but they also work for air sickness. And YES, they really work, well at least in my experience. I hope you can get over your problem, pilots chucking up in an Airbus or Boeing after 15 minutes is not a good sign.

[buttline]

Airbus Pilot,

Don't worry about it, your body will get used to the sensations most likely after 5-10 sessions. This'll be one of the smaller challenges on the road to becoming a pro-pilot! Everyone has varying sensitivities to the sensations of flight - many of us are none too fond of turbulence - you just learn to adjust and cope, relaxation techniques are helpful in this area - try breathing in a relaxed, controlled way and relaxing your muscles..

Let you're instructor know when you're feeling queazy and ask him/her to lighten up on the unusual attitudes and steep turns until you adjust - take your time... too often we forget during training that it's supposed to be fun!

Also, initially try to pick flying days when the surface winds are relatively light (say 10kts or less) as this will reduce the turbulence in the friction layer - or you could ask the instructor to climb above the friction layer, roughly 3000ft agl or so..

[Jagbag]

Ab initio Air Sickness

Don't worry airbus pilot, human beings were not designed to be flying and therefore have to adapt to the "new" environment. Primarily the air sickness is due to just that- therefore u must try keep yourself orientated at all times. Identify places on the ground or momentarily focus on a village/town or river.

Being a QFI I have seen this happening more often when the trainee gets "isolated" from the aircraft due to some primal fear of the unknown. So don't get overawed by flying instead try to make yourself feel that the aircraft is a part of you. Just to inform you that I too used to feel airsick- today I have 4800 hours 3000 on fast jets and 24 years of "you name it, I,ve done it" flying behind me.

Hope it helps

[DanRS]

One thing I found strangely with sailing not flying is that if you try to focus too hard on something near to you, say instruments or map this makes the sickness feel alot worse. I suspect that when you are more familiar with the instruments their location and readings you will feel alot better.

Oh and the wrist bands doo work.

Cheers Dan

[Sensible]

All good advice above. My guess too is that you are fixating on the prop, engine cowling or instruments? VFR flying is just that, visual! looking out of the window and flying by sight and sound! Look at the horizon more, look out for traffic and just glance at the instruments from time to time. You should learn very quickly whether the airplane is straight and level just by the "overall picture" use your ears as well to listen to wind and engine sounds. Cetainly if you are fixating and constantly comparing the airframe with the horizon or staring at the instruments then you will soon become airsick especially if you are a bit nervous. But hey, relax, the instructor in the right seat won't let you crash, he/she has plans to retire! It is important that your instructor knows that you are airsick so that he/she doesn't do stalls or steep turns until you are over this phase. It will pass after a few lessons, especially if you learn to relax. Airsickness isn't rare, just rare for people to admit it!

Try joining a local gliding club, the flying is cheaper, the social great and most importantly, you get to learn to fly properly too!

[Flyin'Dutch']

Motion sickness is the result of the discrepancy of information your brain gets from the various sensors.

Both with flying and sailing and reading books in moving cars your eyes tell you there is no or little movement and your balance organ in your inner ears tells you there is movement.
This confuses the brain and sickness is the result.

Anxiety and tension make these things worse.

I dont know why the armbands work but those who have used them claim they do. Mind you those who found them useless may be too embarrased to admit to using them.

FD

[brockenspectre]

Airbus Pilot - another trick is not to let yourself get too hot. Wear layers (if it is a chilly day outside) and let your instructor know if/when you need to remove one!

also ... an aerobatic pilot once told me ... when you are beginning steep turns (or any manoeuvre that you "feel" to start with) brace your stomach muscles, i.e. pull them in tight ... for aerobatics this is to keep the blood to the head, but for me in the early days when I felt unwell it made me feel I was taking charge of my situation!! whether it genuinely has an effect or not I don't know, but it wasn't long before I was fine.

I was extremely excited at the time to at last have the £££ to learn to fly so each lesson, in the beginning, was the height of this excitement as I suspect it might be for you too - this, plus natural anxiety (wanting to do well etc) plus concentration, plus being over-warm is pretty much a recipe for feeling unwell!

You will be fine very soon - promise!! Don't worry about feeling unwell and make sure you mention it to your instructor.

Oh and the other thing? suck Polo mints!! hehehehe

[AirbusPilot]

Hi guys,

I think because its just the begining my body needs adjusting to this new enviroment´, also i wasn´t relaxed i have to admit.

Thanks for all the comments and help, i do tend to look to the instruments and prop alot so its a habit that i have to try and get ride of.

Yes when i went flying on friday it was a bit bumpy up there and i was doing "effects of control" so i guess all of it help me to get airsick.

I have a great instructor in Stapleford who has been, supportive i think one of my other mistakes is that when i get AirSick i ask my instructor to head back to the airfield, next time i have to try and be strong and carry on with the lesson.

I will follow your advice. Once again thanks

JP

[Sensible]

It's no use trying to continue if you are airsick, you will just be wasting £££££££££££££s and worrying if you can keep your stomach contents contained whilst learning nothing! Loads of good advice posted above, take it all on board, relax, look outside away from the airplane and soon you just won't get airsick again.

Happy flying.

[WelshFlyer]

Hi,
It should go away after a couple of hours flying. I have never been sick in a light aircraft, but get quite ill flying as a passenger on airliners. (because i'm not in control) but - the best thing in my experiance with others is: If you are in control you don't usually get airsick, I don't know if you were in control on this flight. (You should have been, if you are a student!!!) but most people I know only get sick when they are not flying the plane.......

[KodEBlaK]

So u don't waste any money... ask if you can get backseat flights with other students... this will get you use to the sensations of flying and helped me when i use to have the same problems.

[kkbigjet]

hi airbus pilot

try to keep the sessions short,specially whne u get to the circuit pattern.maybe 2 to 3 circuits at the most.
maybe 2 in the morning (thats the time when air is at it smoothest) and 2 just prior noon.andthen call it a day.

look forward to the flight with excitement and u will feel comfy
bi
kunal

[jonathang]

Airbus Pilot,

I had same problem for first 5 flights. It did go away naturally.

I found making sure I got enough air in the cockpit helped, even if the FI is a little cold


If it doesnt go away naturally there is a good drug that the RAF use. One of my mates has severe problems and this has helped him. I will try to find the name for you.


Even though my sickness has gone away for General Handling exercises still feel terrible after Aerobatics. Still love doing them just the after effects yuk .

Good Luck

[Circuit Basher]

For travel sickness generally, try using the 'Sea Bands' - available from bigger pharmacies whose name begins with 'B' and ends in 'S' and rhymes with 'loots' [hope this doesn't count as advertising, L]

The tablets which are claimed to be very effective and non-drowsy are Stugeron (when I worked on sea trials, many of the guys I worked with used these and found that they worked), but I would strongly recommend trying all the non-pharmaceutical options suggested so far before resorting to drugs.

[DX Wombat]

Ginger is also said to help and there are several makes of ginger tea available. Or you could try a teaspoon or two of ginger jam, or some crystallised ginger. The crystallised form is easy to carry around, jus pop a few lumps in a small, plastic container.

[Flyin'Dutch']

CB,

I would check with your AME or the CAA to see if Stugeron is an allowed drug for flightcrew.

FD

[DX Wombat]

From an old copy of MIMS (Monthly Index of Medical Specialities) which, in the entry for Stugeron (Cinnarizine) refers the prescriber to a note a the beginning of the particular section; this note reads as follows:
"Antihistamines are useful in the management of.........Motion sickness also responds provided the drug is given before the journey. They may cause drowsiness and patients should be warned of the risks of driving (and presumably also flying) and of the potential interaction with alcohol and other CNS depressants"

[AirbusPilot]

Hi all,

Once again thank you for the replies, as someone said before it should go away naturaly since i just get airsick on the C152! And it was only my 2 lesson, so i probally overeacted a bit.


Thank You All