Ever Puke in the Cockpit?

[Edbert]

I've only got about 20 hours of seat time. But once in a 172 I did get queasy, never ralphed but got the cold sweat and felt weak. I opened up the vents and stared at the horizon, felt better within 5 minutes.

Regarding Curval's story...I cannot imagine the added stress of combat and the results it would have. Hell when flying a scenario the urge to piss becomes overwhelming sometimes. Any stories of soggy chutes to share?

[muckmaw]

Originally posted by mjolnir
Muck, ever been in the barony chair?  The AF uses it to help guys in pilot training get over airsickness.  You can make your own at home, and as long as you've got someone willing to spin you until you can't see straight (wives work well for this), you can be cured in no time.  

Here's how it works.  You get a spinning chair, sit down, and close your eyes.  The first test is to have someone spin you at a constant rate until it doesn't feel like you're spinning anymore.  Then they'll stop you and you open your eyes and almost fall over because all the fluid in your inner ear is messed up.

Next one, same setup, only this time turn your head to one side and lean forward.  This time when you stop, try to raise your head upright and not fall over.  

The last thing is just really something to do for fun, but pick something on the wall like a clock, and while you're spinning, keep it in sight as long as possible (keep turning your head so you can see it).  When you stop and stare straight ahead, your eyeballs will still be moving back and forth rapidly.  

All this might seem pretty silly, especially while you're doing it, but if you can get used to having the inner ear fluid spun and be comfortable with it, you'll do much better in the plane.  Most of the time, when someone pukes, it's because of spatial disorientation (your body thinks you're doing one thing, your eyes are telling you you're doing something else).  
Like the other guys have said, get a good solid crosscheck moving, with the majority of your focus being outside in the direction that you're heading, and occaisional glances inside at the ADI, HSI, altimeter and airspeed.  

P.S.  If you're still having trouble after a few more rides, email me and I can go talk to the Aerospace Physiology people, see if they can offer some more advanced stuff to help.  They deal with this all the time.

Thanks for the tips MJ.

How often and for how long should I do this?

I really appreciate the help!

[X2Lee]

Originally posted by Edbert MOL
. Any stories of soggy chutes to share?

well I had to pee sooo bad once i found a farmers field to land in
I stepped out and did my bidness and spun her around and here comes the farmer on his tractor waving his fist and tried to get in front of my cessna! I threw in more flaps and yanked her off the grass and went right over him. I came around again to wag my wings at him and he was still shaking his fist

true story.

[mjolnir]

Try it a couple times a day for a couple days Muck, and see if it helps.  Really, the thing that's going to work best is spending as much time as possible in the air getting used to it.  Also, it helps when you're flying the plane as opposed to the instructor, so if it happens when he's demo-ing something, ask if you can fly and have him talk you through it instead.  That way you know what the plane is about to do and can anticipate it.

Another thing I didn't mention and some guys have alluded to is diet.  First starting out, especially if you're doing any sort of acrobatics, I'd recommend staying away from dairy products, greasy food, or anything acidic like orange juice.  Stick to bland food like bagels, they'll help absorb some of the stomach acid.  Again, the more you do it, the more you'll get used to it and you'll be able to start eating normally again without worrying about it.  

Parting shot:  alcohol.  IIRC, the FAA rule is 8 hours bottle to throttle.  In the AF it's 12 hours.  Alcohol doesn't just get into your blood stream, it also gets into your inner ear fluid, which is why you tend to stagger and lose your balance a lot when drunk.  It just happens to take a really long time to get out of your inner ear, so even if you're BAC is down to 0, you could potentially still have problems.  Flying is enough work when you're in top shape, no need to make it harder on yourself.

[gorski3]

I am not a pilot myself, but I have read that turning your head under high G is bad news too.

Gorskii

[CyranoAH]

The best thing is not thinking about it. I puked once during aerobatic training. The best thing is to keep the cool, pull out the puke bag, throw it all out, close it thoroughly and keep flying.

Daniel

[muckmaw]

Originally posted by mjolnir
Try it a couple times a day for a couple days Muck, and see if it helps.  Really, the thing that's going to work best is spending as much time as possible in the air getting used to it.  Also, it helps when you're flying the plane as opposed to the instructor, so if it happens when he's demo-ing something, ask if you can fly and have him talk you through it instead.  That way you know what the plane is about to do and can anticipate it.

Another thing I didn't mention and some guys have alluded to is diet.  First starting out, especially if you're doing any sort of acrobatics, I'd recommend staying away from dairy products, greasy food, or anything acidic like orange juice.  Stick to bland food like bagels, they'll help absorb some of the stomach acid.  Again, the more you do it, the more you'll get used to it and you'll be able to start eating normally again without worrying about it.  

Parting shot:  alcohol.  IIRC, the FAA rule is 8 hours bottle to throttle.  In the AF it's 12 hours.  Alcohol doesn't just get into your blood stream, it also gets into your inner ear fluid, which is why you tend to stagger and lose your balance a lot when drunk.  It just happens to take a really long time to get out of your inner ear, so even if you're BAC is down to 0, you could potentially still have problems.  Flying is enough work when you're in top shape, no need to make it harder on yourself.

Thanks again, MJ.

Your a life saver. I'll try the spinning chair and report back.

I wonder if I can  use my daughters Sit-N-Spin....

Don't laugh...I'm serious.