Motion sickness.

[grababadger]

Im a little concerned as I've been feeling a little sick and tense whilst learning to fly (only in the aircraft).

Although all is going very well im concerned that this may be a big problem for me, im hoping I'll get used to it.

Any suggestion's/stories would be most appreciated.

[Charles Sierra]

Had the same problem for first 6 or so hours. Once I learned to relax , no more probs. Stick at it !!

[The Grim EPR]

When I first started flying light aircraft I had the same problem. As time goes on, you’ll relax and things will get better. Make sure that you eat a couple of hours before your lesson. I used to think that if I didn’t eat anything, then I couldn’t be sick. This doesn’t work.

Ask your instructor to open all the fresh air vents. I used to get ridiculously hot and bothered and look across to my instructor and he was freezing to death in a jumper and jacket. Concentrating very hard on learning, really made me overheat.

Don’t worry about being sick. Once you start to obsess about it, you tend to feel worse. But if you do start to feel poorly, tell your instructor straight away and they will take control, give you a sick bag and take you back. I used to try and carry on and hope that the feeling would go away. It didn’t, and I was just wasting my and my instructor’s time.

I always take a bottle of water with me and some mints (to stop the dry mouth).

I felt just the same as you and I was gutted that I might not be able to carry on learning to fly. Trust me, it will pass and you will wonder what you were worried about.

Enjoy!

[grababadger]

Thanks, I hope so...

[DX Wombat]

Get yourself some crystallised ginger, eat a lump or two before you go flying and take some with you as well. It should help overcome the nausea.( It can be a bit hot though so try a bit first before you go.

[christimson]

Instructor demonstrating turns and stalls doesn't help. Once you do them yourself you'll be ok.

[Whirlybird]

I had the same problem. I still get sick doing aerobatics...and that's after 10 years. But what the hell, you don't turn helicopters upsidedown. Seriously, though, everyone is right; it will get better. And you can take ginger in tablet form if you don't like the crystallised stuff; it does help.

[grababadger]

Cheers for the advice folks, ill give the ginger a bash!

[stickandrudderman]

ill give the ginger a bash!

Isn't there a law against that?

Motion sickness is very much psychosomatic

I've seen a lot of it when wearing my sailing skipper's hat, and have very often observed that those who worry that they'll get sick do!

Definately doesn't apply to ALL but certainly seems to be the case in the majority.

Still, there's something very satisfying about watching some smug newby board a yacht for the first time, all full of bravado and unfounded confidence, spend most of the trip harnessed to the safety rail and begging to die!

[grababadger]

Well we'll have to wait and see what response I get post 'ginger bashing', im not sure it is psychosomatic, im pretty sure thats its something to do with the fluid in yours ears putting you out of balance and the changes in air pressure etc, g-force etc..

Thanks for the advice anyhow Skipper!

[stickandrudderman]

There certainly is a physiological reason for it, but it's an individual's mental reaction to the physiological symptoms that will largely affect the degree of sickness felt.
(Based not an any medical training but rather my observations over far too long a period)

Don't bash me, I'm not ginger!

[grababadger]

I'll agree with that.

But surely its more physiological than mental..?

If you'r talking about tolerance, then your likely to be slightly biased if you have never been affected.

It reminds me of a friend who used to boast about how he never got ill and that his eye sight was brilliant!

Im going to buy some ginger and see what happens, knowing my luck ill be allergic to it...

[stickandrudderman]

I certainly have been VERY sea-sick, (all the way across the English channel for 10 hrs!), but a long time ago.
Today I recognise the symptoms early on and just tell myself that it's quite a nice sensation and everything will be fine! Seems to work for me and others I know who employ the same method.

No guarentees offered though!

[englishal]

Motion sickness is very much psychosomatic

Yes and no. I work at sea for a living and have never been seasick, even in 50' waves in the North Sea.

But on saturday I did feel a little motion sick, (though didn't come close to puking) on my first aero's lesson.

What I figured out over two sorties was:

a) When the instructor demonstrates it is far worse than flying yourself
b) Nerves, I was terrified before I did my first loop which obviously makes you feel slightly sick in itself
c) Relax and look out. First I was VERY tense, as I didn't know what to expect. Gradually I started the relax and enjoy the view from upside down
Sortie two I was better but because of the "damage" done at the start I was feeling a bit queasy so didn't want to push it too far.

I think next lesson I'll be fine, but gawd knows how aero's instructors can sit there and laughing away

Ginger is a well know cure, so it may be worth trying that. Also keep your eyes outside and try and relax....
Good luck

[rotorfossil]

There are three kinds of people: Those lucky b.....s who never experience motion sickness in any thing, those who feel ill at first and then adapt with repeated exposure (the time scale varies from an hour or so, to in my case, three years) and those unlucky few who will to a greater or lesser degree always feel ill.
The interesting thing is that some people who feel ill in one form of transport or situation, don't in others. The frequency of the motion or disturbance seems to have something to do with it. I've never felt car sick but do in aeros if I'm not in regular practice. Aeros don't affect my wife at all but she gets ill in cars if she is not looking out.

[Runaway Gun]

Lookout? Thanks for the tip. I might try doing more of that in flight

[Crash one]

My daughter went green as my first passenger last week. Concentrates the mind on final in a gusty crosswind with the pax face in a bag.
We got pills from Boots & tried again, no problems, thoroughly enjoyed it & wants to buy an a/c, good result.

[Oxeagle]

I partially agree with the others about motion sickness mainly being a psychological thing, however as I have found out the hard way certain illnesses and ailments can have a huge impact upon your tolerance to air sickness. For example I was extremely rarely airsick until I had glandular fever in 2004, an after effect of which was that my acid tolderance was reduced to a much lower level than it should be. I found that when I started my PPL training I was feeling unwell on pretty much every flight as pretty much anything caused my stomach to flare up. I even had one experience when solo that very nearly developed into a dangerous situation as I was feeling too unwell to concentrate on landing the aircraft properly. It's only now after 80 hours flying that I find that my tolerance to airsickness is at an acceptable level. If you do start feeling unwell, something that I finds helps me (only when as a pax though) is to basically tell myself exactly what is going on, tell myself the motions that the aircraft is making and I find I can normally hold the sickness at bay. Give it a try next time you feel really bad!

[Pilot_in_the_making]

The same question was posted a while ago in the medical forum which might be worth a read as it may help you with a few ideas. Don't know if this will work, but try clicking HERE to go to that thread.

Some people do suffer more than others. I was terrible in a car as a child. I couldn't go anywhere without walking or being severely sick after about 5-10 minutes. Even today I still feel rough after about 30 minutes or so in a car (as a passenger).

Had problems when I first started flying, some people use these armbands that you can get from the chemists. I think they work on pressure points or some kind of other weird voodoo magic, they might be worth a try.

I know using any kind of medication immediately puts you on dodgy ground, but I found some natural herbal remedy travel sickness tablets on the shelves in the supermarket which stated non-drousy on the packet.

NOTE:- At minimum, check with your training school before you use them. My training school said I could use them whilst flying duel with an instructor, but I was definately not to use them when flying solo without first getting the go-ahead from an AME.

As several other people have said, the effects of travel sickness do in most peoples cases, gradually disappear. I used the travel sickness tablets for the first 10 hours or so and by the time I was ready to go solo I found that I didn't need them anymore, but for God's sake make sure that they clearly state non-drousey on the packet if you are going to go down this slightly dodgy route!

Below are a few tips that got me through the first few hours of my PPL:-

• Like Grim EPR said earlier, make sure you have a bottle of water (never thought of trying the mints, but I'll take your word for it).
• Make sure you don't skip breakfast.
• Armbands work on some people, and are worth a try, but they do bugger all for me!
• Make sure you always have a sick bag on you!!!
• Without being too graphic, don't ever be tempted to try to be sick out of the window of the Cessnas, anyone who has ever tried it (and the passengers in the back if it's a 4 seater) will tell you that it is an incredibly bad idea!!! It was quite possibly the most embarresing apology I have ever had to make!!!!!

I was in your position about a year ago. I have now held a PPL for about 6 months or so and have about 90 hours TT. Now studying for my ATPL exams and hours building so I'm ready to start the CPL course. Still feel a bit green sometimes in turbulant conditions, but for the best part I seem to have got over it now, and getting better all the time.

Don't let it put you off flying, keep plugging away at it and things will get better.

[Sam-MAN]

Hey.

As a child i used to get VERY car sick, especially when stopping and starting all the time like in a traffic jam, or going on curvery roads!

From your experience, would i be likely to get sick in the air if i used to get car sick? (i dont anymore!) I hope not! Must be quite embarrasing if you with an instructor with you!

Thanks