Third lesson, sick :-(
 

Hi,

Had my third lesson today and was sick well near as ! And don't really no why as I've never had any sickness feeling before in my life be it flying, in a car or on a boat. This was my second lesson at this school, my first lesson was with another school a while back and had no problems with the flight and I felt great after it. Decided not to peruse it anymore until earlier this year where I found a local school and booked a trial lesson, again had no problem with the flight. Yes I felt a bit nervous sometimes but wasn't like oh my god I can't handle this get me back on the ground. So I booked some more with them, now because of the weather and other reasons it was put off five times and today I finally got to fly. I wasn't feeling nervous and had eaten well before the flight . I was in a smaller lighter aircraft so for my next lesson I'm going to try the other one again but now I'm feeling is it worth it as I know all I'm going to be thinking about on the next flight is 'will I be sick' feeling embarrassed is disheartened now :\

Don't worry. I had to take qwells for my first ten flights! each one of which was half an hour or more in a glider. The more I was handling the aircraft the less it was a problem, so near solo, no more pills required.

Don't let that very minor problem keep you grounded.

Mary

Feeling sick can be caused by a number of factors and it's not uncommon for people to look a little green at the end of their early lessons. Trial lessons are often half the length of normal ones so that may have been a factor for you. It's also quite windy today which can make progress somewhat bumpy. I wouldn't be too concerned just yet. Enjoy your flying and don't be afraid to tell your instructor if you feel poorly again. It's in no-one's interests to carry on a lesson with you feeling sick - you won't learn anything - and it may be that your instructor will do some exercises with you that are a little less stressful.

By the way, a sip or two of cold water prior to flying can work wonders.

Decent meal an hour before hand and drink a can of ginger beer during the brief.

I was sick every time I climbed out of the aeroplane for the first 5-6 lessons.

1. Talk to your instructor about it. Mine stopped throwing it around quite so much and recommended extra strong mints - to be eaten when feeling sick. Very effective.

2. Keep your head up and eyes outside. Your instructor will want this anyway.

3. Try to do as much yourself as possible, if your instructor will let you. Talk to him about it. The less he does, and the more he talks you through doing it instead, the better. See point 1...

In addition to/as an alternative to the ginger beer, try ginger capsules. Unlike other anti-sickness remedies, they are no problem for piloting. High dosages of vitamine C allegedly help, too, but unlike for the ginger capsules which "hardened" my stomach considerably during the first few lessons, I have no personal experience with the latter.

You'll get used to it. Read Alan Cassidy's column in Loop magazine a couple of months ago (I can't remember which month exactly), which explains the physiology of it (in short, what your eyes see and what your balance organs feel are different. As a result, your body thinks it has been poisoned and tries to expel the poison hence :yuk:). Keeping an eye on the horizon as much as possible is also helpful.

In the meantime shortly before you go flying, drink a full fat Coke and eat a Mars bar. The above (ginger, etc) tries to prevent the sickness. This prevents the symptoms. The sugar will cause your blood flow to concentrate on your digestive system, preventing the initial symptom of "stomach awareness", if you like. It is analogous to the RAF chaps in the Second World War downing glucose syrup to prevent the same thing.

Also, practice these exercises if you fancy a challenge. It will take a couple of weeks but you'll never be airsick again. Just don't do them near furniture. :ok:

http://medind.nic.in/iab/t07/s1/iabt07s1p37.pdf

I was sick for years. I'm now addicted to aeros.

I don't really think there is a trick with food or anything. Flying is a little different than driving on the ground, you will get used to it in a few hours! I had the same problem the first few hours.
Good luck!

Thank you all for your replies and suggestions. I'll let you know how the next lesson goes, hopefully the weekend.

You'll get over it. One of my charges decades back was five years old when I started to fly him around - sick regularly. Now he's an Air Canada Captain, and flies a Pitts, a Mig jet, and some other odd jet type in airshows - he mastered it!

tell me, were the first lessons in a PA28 aznd the sick lesson in a C150/152?

the type of airplane can make a difference in initial lessons

also

was your seatbelt fastened tightly enough to keep your butt in the seat or was it a littl eloose?

ginger ale (as we call it in the USA) is very helpful. remember too that when you go up, any gas in your stomach will expand.

First lesson was a DA40, second was a PA28 and the third was a PS-28. all lessons were about an hour but the last one I was starting to feel I'll within 40-45mins :yuk:

My instructor only just managed to get the plane back on the grass strip at Denham during my trial lesson in the 1980's. I lept out, threw up, got back in & taxied to the club house!! I was mortified as all I wanted to do was fly since before I could walk. I started to take airsickness tablets & they seemed to work, however by lesson 5 they weren't required anymore. You build a tolerance to it & of course by lesson 5 your too busy to worry about motion sickness. It didn't slow my commercial carreer. It will sort it self out.

You only felt sick. No problem. On my third lesson I threw up all over my instructor!!! Needless to say, he wasn't amused - though he did hide his annoyance quite well.

Things got better, and I ended up flying long distances in both f/w aircraft and helicopters, and instructing in the latter. Oh, and doing helicopter flight test articles for magazines, which sometimes involved throwing them around. I never got to like the throwing around stuff; I always got a little queasy, though it was manageable. But 'normal' flying - no problems.

You've been given good advice so far. I agree with all of it, but as an ex-instructor I would emphasise...tell your instructor! He'll fly you more gently, and also make sure he has a supply of sick bags for emergencies. It's nothing to be ashamed of; it's extremely common. And it will probably go away, or at least get a lot better.

Just one more thought... It's never happened to you before, in any form of transport? Perhaps you were just having a bad day, a minor stomach upset, or similar. Maybe you're worrying too much here.

It was actually very rough on Sunday.

So if you got down all right, then you did very well!

Do I have my next lesson in the PS-28 again which is what I'd like to learn in or go back to the PA28 ?

Been there. for various reasons I was no stranger to vomiting during my flight training.

Luckily never actually in the plane.

I made the epic mistake of thinking that if I didn't eat . I couldn't be sick

WRONG! It makes you feel a million times worse. Find a light meal that works for you. For me it was granola and greek yoghurt. carbs and protein. Oh and keep hydrated as well.

Make sure your instructor doesn't keep the heat up too much either. My instructor and I existed in different temperature zones. I needed it cool and he liked the heat.

we had to find a compromise but cooler is better when you are feeling a bit bleurgh

I used to keep the cockpit in artic conditions for the students. If needed I could always put a jumper on.

They never seemed to get cold :D

that's because you instructors make us sweat so much !!! :p

or all the hot air from the ****e we talk was keeping you warm.