Motion sickness

[Timebuilder]

I have found a little ginger ale helps to settle my stomach.

A few weeks ago, I had to sit on the "potty seat" during training in the Lear. It was bumpy, and we were doing steep turns, and I couldn't see outside very well from my position while the other trainee was flying the airplane. I turned at least five shades of green, but fortunately had digested all of my breakfast already.

For you, I would do a couple of things. One, try to keep a cool airflow going in the cockpit. Open the window if you have to. Two, have your instructor take the aircraft controls and scan while you focus your eyes on the horizon.

The motion sickness comes from a lack of, or a disparity of visual inputs and kinesthetic inputs to the brain. That means what you are seeing, or failing to see, doesn't agree with what you are feeling.

 

[tarp]

OCB,

Your in a pretty large group of fellow pilots. I'd say about 33% have true "motion sickness" and about 99.8% have had first flight butterflies.

True airsickness or motion sickness will usually go away after you adjust to the new environment. Some people lose it in two lessons, some in thirty but it does eventually go away.

Good opportunity to crack open the books! Most private pilot manuals either have the Aeromedical Factors section in the first chapter or the last chapter of the book. Find yours and start reading - there's good info.

PS - my first lesson in a C-150 was a hot bumpy summer afternoon. It's kind of hard to fly an airplane when you are trying to slip one hand under the seat to keep yourself connected to the airplane. My rather abrupt instructor noticed me trying to hang on, told me to tighten my seat belt and then made me put my hands in the air while he ran through some maneuvers. I then realized that I stayed connected throughout and a fear was erased. Those were some awfully big butterflies that day!

 

[dmspilot00]

Having experienced it myself, I think I can offer a few words.

When I was a student my instructor started me off with relatively short flights, about .6 on the hobbs. We gradually worked up to an hour over the first three or four flights.

For me, a large part of my nausea came from vibration. We had two 152s where I learned to fly, and after flying both I found that one vibrated more than the other, so I tried to always fly in the better airplane. Also, slow flight tended to make me the most sick, and I think the increased vibration during the maneuver (slow airspeed with high RPM) was the cause.

For me, sometimes I think I got more sick when it was smooth, because the tactile inputs were missing. What I saw and what I felt did not agree. When it was bumpy (but not very bumpy), what I saw and felt usually did agree!

I never did have to use a sick-sac in a plane. The only time I felt I really needed it when I flew in the back seat of a plane with a friend of mine and his instructor. If you feel that you are going to need one, you need to get down. I would not recommend waiting until you get sick to determine it is time to land.

After my first few lessons where the nausea started to pass, but for about my first 10 hours, driving in the car on the way home after a lesson usually made me more sick. Wait about 20 minutes after you land if you find this is the case.

You can buy ginger capsules or candied ginger, it is supposed to help and I used it for my first 20 hours or so. If you decide to eat it in the car, make sure you have some water...it burns!

 

[bobbysamd]

Motion Sickness

I recall reading in Chuck Yeager's autobiography that he suffered from airsickness during his early flights. He got over it and years later broke the speed of sound!

 

[AZaviator]

wristband

As 1900cpt briefly mentioned, you might want to look into getting one of those wristbands. I had a student who got airsick just about everytime we'd go up flying. He bought one of the wristbands and wore it for a few weeks and gradually quit wearing it and eventually didn't need it anymore.

I don't think they're too expensive $40-60? and you can order them from Sporty's, or a flight school might have one. Just a suggestion.

 

[Timebuilder]

There are two models avialable. One has a fixed life and a sealed case. The other, more expensive model has a replaceable battery.

 

[TurboS7]

I will always remember when I was five years old puuuuking all over my grandfather's 172, I missed the bag. I have always had a tender stomach, I think it was because I wasn't breast fed. Anyhow I always fly with a full stomach, that really helps. Schedule your flying lessons in the early morning or evening when it is smooth. When you pull G's or start bouncing around tighten up your stomach muscles, it helps. Don't let people like my wife make you feel bad. She never gets sea sick, she can go out in a fighter and sit in the back and while pulling 7'gs and not feel sick and love every minute of it. Oh yes, she was breast fed when she was a baby. Most of us pilots feel sick and when those neg g's come----look out. Have fun and enjoy.

 

[avbug]

I like to strike students who have a strong constitution about the abdomen prior to a flight. Several good blows induce vomiting, leaving nothing to come up during the flight. (Dry heaves only build good abs). For women, children, and small animals, I alternate between using syrup of ipicac or a tongue depressor (never a finger, even old folks bite hard). Get it all out in the open and out of their system.

The flight always goes better after that.

Seriously, a little fresh air, and look outside the cockpit; far outside. Look at the horizon. If you find you're getting sick, then stop doing whatever it was that made you sick. Most folks who have this probem experience it with turns of 180 degrees or more; especially steep turns involving changes in direction.

A tolerance can be built up, but take your time. If air work is making you sick, go do landings. Shorten the duration of the flights, and shoot for morning or evening flights when it is likely to be more calm. If sickness comes on, go do something else, or end the flight. Airsickness is both psyiological, and psychological. Don't allow it to jade you or feed itself. Cut it off and go back up later.

It IS beatable. If you can't lick it, however, try eating something that tastes as good coming back up as it does going down the first time...and the second time, and the third time. Pick foods for their aftertaste, and you'll be a contented camper. Good luck!!

 

[oilcanbland]

Hey, bobbysamd. If you get this, I was just curious as to why you said to stay away from the motion sickness medication. Do you mean staw away from over the counter drugs?

 

[bobbysamd]

Medical deficiency

Theoretically, according to 14 CFR 61.53, taking ANY medication means that you have a medical condition that would render you unable meet the requirements of your medical:

Sec. 61.53 - Prohibition on operations during medical deficiency.

(a) Operations that require a medical certificate. Except as provided for in paragraph (b) of this section, a person who holds a current medical certificate issued under part 67 of this chapter shall not act as pilot in command, or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight crewmember, while that person:

(1) Knows or has reason to know of any medical condition that would make the person unable to meet the requirements for the medical certificate necessary for the pilot operation; or

(2) Is taking medication or receiving other treatment for a medical condition that results in the person being unable to meet the requirements for the medical certificate necessary for the pilot operation.

(Emphasis added)

Obviously, you need to use some judgment. Every medication has some sort of side effect, but it is not unreasonable to take Tylenol for a headache and fly after the headache passes. The FAA can approve prescription medications on a case-by-case basis for those who need them. So many of the motion sickness meds, though, have antihistimines, which induce drowsiness.

Best thing is stay away from them. Don't worry, your airsickness tendencies will pass soon.

An interesting pilot medical site is www.leftseat.com .

Good luck with your lessons.