Feeling Sick/Light-headed learning to fly

[blader]

Hi, I have just commenced on learning a PPL and during these first few lessons, I have been feeling rather light-headed, tired and stomach feels somewhat queasy/uncomfortable during the lesson and immediately after it..

Is it because I am not used to flying yet or is it just that I dont have the body to cope with flying? I have passed my class 1 medical but this is making me have doubts about flying commercially in the future.. I don't really recall feeling like this when flying on commercial jets but i could be wrong...and its quite disappointing feeling this ****ty way when flying..

Would appreciate any comments/advice about this...thanks so much!

blader

[Induced Drag]

Blader

relax man all is most likely ok, most people I know recall feeling S**T House when first learning to fly....... it will pass in time.... good luck with your training

ID

[Adam_V]

Most likely just not used to flying. I felt a bit the same when I first started flying.

[WannaBeBiggles]

Sounds like a little motion sickness... but I would ask your DAME just in case.

[Mr. Hat]

blader,
For my first 20 odd hours i'd come back from flying green - similar problems. Just nerves and a bit of motion sickness.
It goes away - its quite common.

Check you private messages.

[RENURPP]

Its not at all uncommon for student pilots to get airsick and certainly nothing to panic about.

Around 1988 I was instructing a young guy who could not last the 1 hr lesson without throwing up. This went on all the way through his RPPL and into his navigation exercises. He was only doing the training to aid him getting into the RAAF.
He did get into the RAAF, last I heard he was a Fighter Combat Instructor on the F18.

If he gave up, who knows what he would be doing now.

[Cap'n Arrr]

I would also suggest some things that have helped some of my students with the same problems:

- Don't wear heavy clothing, and take off the jumper
- Take a bottle of water
- FFS TELL the instructor if you feel ill (from experience)
- Make sure you have had a decent feed (not necessarily a feast, just some good food) and a glass of water before blasting off.

You may find it's as much to do with heat this time of year as anything else... perhaps some early morning lessons?

Arrr

[Mr. Hat]

It's just another of the 1000 hurdles you will face in the quest to fulfill your dream.

[VH-XXX]

What's the weather doing there at the moment? Perhaps it's a little bumpy making you crook? Down south here it's been damn hot and every time I've flown I wondered why I bothered after getting thrown around the cockpit. Not a good time for taking friends or the better half for a spin either.

[Jabawocky]

Stress of learning something new, and all the other stuff mentioned above.

Relax......after about 60 -100 hours you wil look back and wonder what all the fuss was. Unless you go for a SPIN with XXX......then you have good reason

J

[PyroTek]

speaking on topic, i fly quite a lot, on descent, twice in my life, in the past 5 years i have had an extreme pain at the roots of my teeth, ive read that this is barodontalgia, i'm not going to let it stop me, another hurdle i guess.

Its fine when doing lessons, but is there a way to get it fixed, or just preventatives?
Ive heard its gas in your gums expanding...

[tinpis]

I felt ****house fer the first twenty years...then I stopped looking out the window.

[Raving RHAG Muncher]

Better the gas in your gums than elsewhere, I'm sure!!!

[Jabawocky]

Tinpis

You heard uncle dick.........

now write out 100 times......."See and Avoid"

J

PS.....bit of a blow job up there tonight eh?

[Charlie Foxtrot India]

Motion sickness can often be caused by not looking outside, looking at the instruments instead of the horizon = bad.

Low blood sugar and/or dehydration can also cause these symptoms. Don't skip a meal before flying. As well as motion sickness some can get bad headaches, usually explained by "I missed lunch".

[ABX]

From one who suffers motion sickness at times...

Might sound funny but this is serious advice, eat a banana before the flight.

1) You feel a slightly better with a little something in your guts.

2) Bananas taste the same coming up as they did going down. Trust me, that is worth taking notice of.

Good luck.

[Tartan Troosers]

Re- Feeling sick

One tip my instructor gave me that did work, was to fix your gaze at one instrument for a few seconds when feeling unwell. Amazingly it did work, and I have never been troubled with it since.Fortunately he told me this after my third or fourth flight into my PPL, and as I completed a type rating last year, I'm just glad I found something that worked.
The previous threads saying don't skip lunch is a good tip too. Just try going on a car ferry in a gale with an empty stomach!!
And the last place you want a technocolour yawn is in a hot sweaty cockpit with only two seats..!

[BrazDriver]

I know its the wrong time of year, but having a GA aircraft heater on always makes me feel sick!

Also have the cabin air on, sometimes the fumes from a 30 year old aircraft can take their toll. Fresh air makes a big difference!

Good Luck!

[Peter Fanelli]

As others have said, eat something before flying but make it something conservative, Cheese sandwiches used to work for me.
And another thing, make sure your bladder is empty before departure.
One other thing, persist. You will get over it eventually.

[VH-XXX]

Don't eat a banana before flying! they are probably the slowest digesting fruit or any kind of food for that matter that you can eat. It will be thrown up again in no time.