Airsickness

[SJD]

The few times I have had the opportunity to fly I have been lucky enough never to succumb to airsickness. However on one fairly recent Hercules flight I found myself very close! The reason I ask the following questions is because I could see this brilliant experience becoming pretty awful very quickly!

So I was wondering how common it is for people to suffer from airsickness throughout training or the rest of their career? Also whether or not most people over come it? Are there people who turn up to the dream job everyday and await the inevitable?

Cheers

SJD

Ps. sorry it’s a bit morbid but is there any funny stories out there??

[Wader2]

Originally Posted by SJD

So I was wondering how common it is for people to suffer from airsickness throughout training or the rest of their career? Also whether or not most people over come it? Are there people who turn up to the dream job everyday and await the inevitable?

I am not sure that I can comment on how common this is but on the few aircraft I have flown in ( a hundred of so), I can name all the sickies I know.

Air sickness, from my limited observation, seems to be limited to a particular aircraft type or manoeuvre and an individual's susceptibility. Susceptibility seems to reduce with activity levels - the busier you are the less time you have to worry about being sick.

An Air Cadet was sick on two successive sorties in a Dominie - he had little to do. He was the only person I flew with who was sick in a Dominie.

A Navigator I flew with on Vulcan's was prone to sickness after being off flying for a period - 2-3 weeks - . He used to barf and then get over it.

My Captain was sick once but that was before we got airborne. Not sure the reason why but it was a Goose.

Another navigator used to hurl and speak at the same time during a particular bombing profile. Spectacular. He was a good bomb aimer.

An AEOp always took anti-airsickness pills before doing Stage 2 - an ASW training exercise manoeuvre. Oddly when we really went to action stations the adreneline overcame his sickness.

The last one was an experienced navigator new to Nimrods who never overcame his sickness. He was detached to Farnborough and put on the spin table and desensitised.

That was it. You might guess that likelihood it low and impact negligible.

[c-bert]

As Wader has said, I think a lot of it is to do with how occupied your mind is. Equally I find that a decent view out helps.

I have never felt sick when I have been PIC but I have in the back of a Chinny and once as a passenger in a glider.

[SJD]

Thanks Wader for your reply that's managed to put my worries at bay! Although if I do get in I hope I don't end up in the same situation as the last person you mentioned!

[diginagain]

There is only one cure for air- or sea-sickness.




Stand under a tree.


My coat? Ta.

[Wader2]

SJD, don't worry about JT. He did the Aerosystems, got his operational tick and a well paid job in industry.

[Airborne Aircrew]

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...

[JOE-FBS]

Wader2,

I have to ask, was that uniquely air-sick air cadet on trips from Finningley in the early 80's? It was probably me!

I did always get it in the bag, though. Oh, and I did enjoy the flights, honest. Jetstreams did the same to me and I got to sit near the front looking forwards in those!

Thanks for the experiences.

Joe

[effortless]

I always get squiffy when someone else is flying, driving or sailing. I always found the back of the bus bad. Especially windowless ones like the Herculese. Siting backwards in a Hastings was bad too.

[Airborne Aircrew]

Oh... Lest I forget...

Dateline: Belize, 1982 0r 1983.

There was a young blonde ATC lady who, to be fair, was a little more attractive that the regular fare shipped out to the Officers Mess, who attracted the attention of a young pilot. He tried the normal trick of getting her a left seat trip for an hour or two except he made the mistake of getting her on a BGS, (Battle Group South task that lasted most of the day). She didn't have a helmet, couldn't or didn't borrow a helmet and so I provided her with the headset from the back.

We picked up a dozen troops and began a transit down through the mountains to Rideau camp IIRC. Rather than do the standard transit at 1000ish feet our hero choses to demonstrate his low level abilities.

Now, I'm sure I will be told it was my fault but there wasn't a sick bag within reach of the left seat... About 15 minutes into the flight I looked to see the young lady looking particularly pale and in something of a tizzy. Being the bright chap that I am I immediately surmised that the poor girl was about to upchuck. Not wanting to have to clean up the contents of her breakfast I turned to get a baggy only to find myself blocked by a dozen troops and all their kit. Frantic hand signalling ensued as I tried to get a baggy from them. This, of course, caused much mirth amongst the troops and probably slowed down the passage of said baggy.

You know how, when driving at speed and someone opens a window you can feel the pressure change? Well, it's exactly the same in a Puma flying at 140 knots... I lunge for the baggy, get it and turn to see the dear lady "looking intently" out of the side window... I tapped her on the shoulder and offered her the baggy.

She turned to show her hair nicely quaffed back on the top and both sides by her breakfast which was also smothered across her face and down the front of her shirt. She looked a bit like a Picasso...

I gave her the baggy which she held onto firmly until we reached Rideau where it was decided she would stay until the transit home which turned out to be a relatively normal transit that began with a baggy firmly placed in her hand and the smell of "suitably aged" sick permeating the cab.

I don't recall if the pilot was successful in his mission or not...

[helidriver]

I suffered on 'aerobatics' in the 'Spitmunk' every time and painfully worked through it knowing I would be on the Rotary Phase of my pilots course in no time. The next time I was sick was during my Instruments Phase where there was a fair bit of boozing in the evening due to our detached status and I nearly failed my initial Instrument Rating Test. After that, having eventually specialised onto surveillance duties, I only felt it after a night on the ale, even a couple of pints was enough when staring at the surveillance kit then onto binos and orientating the map then looking out the window. After 5 years of that I had a cast iron gut!

Imagine my frustration when sailing after a period of ground duty I spent all day sick, totally debilitated and wanting to drown! It was only a force 6!!

After some research on the web I utilised concoction of:

Full greasy fry-up
Bottle of Ginger Ale
Flat Cola
Packet of Ginger biscuits
Chewing gum

All of which individually should help, especially the ginger, and in my case the cast iron gut returned. Probably placebo, but who cares, worked for me.

h

[airborne_artist]

I had the odd feeling of nausea early on EFT, but got over it. Earlier I'd launched my lunch regularly when in BRNC's training yachts on a choppy sea, especially if the wind was against the tide.

Later in my green phase I never felt the urge to chunder when in the back of Albert waiting to jump, though I'm certain others felt it - but I don't recall bags actually being used for real.

[6Z3]

Always sick on the first flight of any new aircraft. Thereafter, no problems.
.
Funny. First ever flight in a Chipmunk T10 on UAS, having arrived the evening before and had a few sherbets in the bar at a meet-n-greet. Instructor next morning noted my greenish gills from the night before.
.
"Right, 'Z3" he announced,
"Stalling and Spinning; In at the deep end, eh?"
.
Well, halfway thru' the third spin, I admit that I don't feel too well.
.
"No probs old chap, we'll settle the aircraft down, slide open the canopy and take her gently home. Get your sickbag out from the stowage by your left leg, take deep breaths, and try to look at the distant horizon"
.
Well, the stowage was empty, and the horizon was dimming to a grey mist.
.
"TAKE YOUR GLOVE OFF AND USE THAT, 'Z3" he shouts over the sound of rushing slipstream.
.
"NO, DON'T DO THAT!!!" he exclaims just a fraction too late, as I line up to hurl out the window.
.
Picture if you will a half-gallon dollup of JohnSmithscumvindaloo, pause for a moment just outside the window, before reversing course and propelling itself at 70 kts toward the back cockpit, grazing the top of my right shoulder strap on its way to pancaking my instructor full in the face; the outer extremities of it wiping itself around the whole of the inside of the rear canopy.
.
"YOU $@#£%WIT" he splutters, and regains S&L
.
I believe he earned himself a Green Endorsement for his skill in flying the a/c back in near IMC conditions (internally at least).
.
"THAT'll teach you not to go drinking the night before flying" he debriefed, some time after I had cleared out the whole a/c.
.
"Sir, I believe you learnt a thing or two as well" I ventured.

[Hueymeister]

5000+hrs and still sick as a parrot

I've been suffering ffrom air sickness since I first started to fly (some 25 yrs now) and still get nauseous after 5000+hrs in a multitude of aircraft. I used to be a staff cadet on an AEF, and was regularly sick when I flew, then as a staff pilot the staff cadets had a competition to see how long it would take them to make me honk; about 15 mins was the average. 1300hrs in NI, of which approx 1/2 was sat hands on the programme looking down at a 50,000 desensitised me a tad, but aeros still make me queasy. Teaching wingovers in Squirrels in the Summer as a double header would also invariably make me ill. Worse yet, 3 years with the dark blue on the oggin, the worst i've ever felt was on Argus going across the Bay of Biscay. The cabins were 100ft above the blue wobbly stuff, and boy could that thing wobble. Not made any more pleasant sharing a cabin with JB who had an unnatural propensity for getting nude at EVERY opportunity.

Still, Grob refresher in 3 weeks, can smell the honk now!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rossian]

Not honking

When I was rear crew instructing on the Mk1 Nimrod there was a young Sgt siggie who was sick on every trip as he was going through the course. I had some theories about airsickness and I made it my mission to get him through ONE trip without hurling. Like others above have mentioned I decided to keep him so occupied on his radio op duties that he wouldn't have time to think about being sick , and apart from one or two rolling eyes moments I/we succeeded. As we rolled out on the landing run he was looking green "get into the port beam lookout and stay sharp as we taxy in " I yelled at him; off he went, and now stable and slow and with a horizon to look at I was sure he'd be OK. He was - until the student pilot trod rather heavily on the brakes as we came to a final halt and we all had a lurch forward. As I went round the end of the nav crate to say "Well done son, you see you CAN do it" He projectile vomited into the goldfish bowl window....... Not a pretty sight! I was absolutely knackered, my voice had gone and he looked so crestfallen! He did get a bit better as time passed but I think it always bothered him in his subsequent career.
My main theory was that it's caused by emotions of stress. Stress of a pressured learning situation like an OCU, just about jump out of an a/c, setting off to do a dinghy drill in roughish WX in the firth or as it used to be in Plymouth sound, for some just being in an aircraft and having no control of your environment, stage fright...... lots of situations. I actually was present in the desensitisation suite at Farnborough when one of my ex-studes was there for day one of the process. The lovely lady who oversaw the process briefed him carefully and zipped up the cover on the turntable and as we walked back to the console to star there was the amplified sound of a projectile vomit over the speakers - and NOTHINg HAD MOVED YET! Sheer stress and nerves.
The Ancient Mariner

[PlasticCabDriver]

Nothing to do with being sick but

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.

As a stude on BFT, you could set the altimeter by when my glasses steamed up. 500', on the dot, every time.

Not really of course, I was making it up, but as the QFI invariably then said "I have control", it got me out of an awful lot of EFATOs.

[wz662]

Air Cadets on AEF in the back of Hercules will be upchucking BEFORE takeoff.
Many years ago I knew the Air Cadet Gliding Instructor who had his passenger turn towards him and say "I don't feel well Suurrrrr." Promptly depositing his half digested packed lunch and litre of Coke into the Instructors lap!
Personally I've only been airsick once - whilst travelling cattle class to Hong Kong in the rear of a Jumbo

[BEagle]

"THAT'll teach you not to go drinking the night before flying" he debriefed, some time after I had cleaned out the whole a/c.

But it didn't, did it mate? I recall your attempt on the Gatenby Lane record after a few sherbets and a trip to the chippy in Bedale. Nearly lost it on cow**** corner - I was on the floor in the back as your old Cortina estate adopted a 90 deg yaw angle..... But you did at least recover!

I had a night on the pop during that No.1 FJLI course - the forecast for the following day was pants. But, of course, the weather-guesser lied. So the joys of IF.... I coped OK until the limited panel UPs - then learned what a 'Green' rating was all about..... Check height, speed, 'g', roll, pitch, barf......

But as we were supposed to be aspirant razor-eating FJ pilots, we were allowed a little slack.

The late Pete Stone was a student on 21 Hunter refresher course. Came back one day 'fuel priority', broke into the circuit, then went around. Which caused panic in the tower. It turned out he'd parked a secondhand full fry over the instrument panel and hadn't quite had time to wipe the ASI clean with his flying glove! Pete was a great character, sadly killed in a Harrier prang some years later. RIP, Stoney.

[Art Field]

A famous but sadly no longer with us aerobatic and display ace used to throw up regularly about 30 seconds into his Wright Jubilee sequence most every time. Quick wipe of the mouth and onward to a superb performance. It certainly did not stop his subsequent service or civie airline and display flying career.

[threeputt]

Baaaarffiiiing

Never in 4000+ as a navigator. Nearest to it in a Hunter T Mk 8c, with R*p K***y, from Honington; strangely enough not airborne but, on the the landing roll out when he deselected the cabin conditioning.

A most wonderful, corpulent and fashionista like Nav Flt cdr on 31 Sqn he used to baaarff on every sortie; that is courage of a different kind, especially during a war.

3P