How common is motion sickness?

[Mike Smith]

I only have one lesson under my belt so far and it was fine. Yesterday I took a ride with a pilot friend of mine. It was pretty windy and bumpy. We flew for a little over two hours and about the last 30 minutes or so I got pretty queasy. Worst part was I was queasy all day! Is this normal? I am usually about 50/50 when I go deep sea fishing, half the time I get sick, half the time I dont. Of course I only go about once every three or four years. Anyway, I dont really think its a problem, just curious what others have experienced.

Mike

 

[B&TPilot]

I only have one lesson under my belt so far and it was fine. Yesterday I took a ride with a pilot friend of mine. It was pretty windy and bumpy. We flew for a little over two hours and about the last 30 minutes or so I got pretty queasy. Worst part was I was queasy all day! Is this normal? I am usually about 50/50 when I go deep sea fishing, half the time I get sick, half the time I dont. Of course I only go about once every three or four years. Anyway, I dont really think its a problem, just curious what others have experienced.

Mike

I've only been up in a cessna 172 one time. My first official lesson is the 28th. I went up for an introductory lesson, it was a little bumpy, but I didn't get motion sickness. I don't know if I ever get motion sickness. I ride all sorts of theme park rides, never get motion sickness. I've been on boats, cruise ships, never get motion sickness. Airline flights, no motion sickness. Riding as a passenger in a car, nothing. My wife gets it all the time.

I've been taking ground school classes and we talked about pilot factors/environmental factors/etc yesterday. Motion sickness was listed as one effect that could lead to decreased situational awareness. The instructor basically said that anyone who's been flying a while and tells you they don't get motion sickness is lying. He says EVERYONE gets it. I didn't want to be that guy that stood up and says I don't, but I can't think of a single time I've gotten motion sickness in my life. Maybe I haven't been flying enough yet I guess.

 

[eMKay]

I did my first time up, but you get used to it, every flight gets easier. Never get sick on airliners, or driving. Get a little in my boat.

 

[dmccormack]

I only have one lesson under my belt so far and it was fine. Yesterday I took a ride with a pilot friend of mine. It was pretty windy and bumpy. We flew for a little over two hours and about the last 30 minutes or so I got pretty queasy. Worst part was I was queasy all day! Is this normal? I am usually about 50/50 when I go deep sea fishing, half the time I get sick, half the time I dont. Of course I only go about once every three or four years. Anyway, I dont really think its a problem, just curious what others have experienced.

Mike

When I first started I would get nauseated after an hour. Steep turns were instant nausea.

Then I realized I was with a CFI, and he was PIC until I soloed, so it was PIC if *I* took some motion sickness meds.

I did, got used to it all, and never had another episode until first spin training (it was the pullouts that got me).

 

[Bob Noel]

I only have one lesson under my belt so far and it was fine. Yesterday I took a ride with a pilot friend of mine. It was pretty windy and bumpy. We flew for a little over two hours and about the last 30 minutes or so I got pretty queasy. Worst part was I was queasy all day! Is this normal? I am usually about 50/50 when I go deep sea fishing, half the time I get sick, half the time I dont. Of course I only go about once every three or four years. Anyway, I dont really think its a problem, just curious what others have experienced.

Mike

I'm subject to motion sickness. I got a bit green during my first lesson (I had flown in a "small" airplane years ago and gotten hooked). For me, it was the noise, the bumpy conditions, the stress/anxiety of the first time flying. Over time I became less sensitive to the motion sickness but turbulence will still wear me out and I can still get green, especially under the hood.

Generally people get used to it or get beyond it. For pilots like me, we gain some tolerance and learn how to avoid the particularly bothersome conditions, like avoiding hot afternoon lessons or windy/gusty conditions.

Things that help me include: (1) being rested, (2) understanding what is going on, (3) not eating too much prior to the flight, (4) ventilation, (5) knocking off when detecting the onset of motion sickness (starting to sweat, etc), (6) a good headset to reduce the noise (I use an ANR headset).

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Happens.

Most people get over it.

Bob Hoover claims that the reason he took up aerobatics was to get over air sickness. Look at where he ended up...

 

[MSPAviator]

Try this experiment...

Sit in a swiveling office chair and spin yourself around for about 30 seconds as fast as you can go. Then come to a complete stop and tilt your head forward so you look down into your lap. I guarantee this will make you feel sick!

 

[skidoo]

I never had an issue. But, I learned when I was young and could tighten my belly hard as a rock...

My wife has a soft belly and she has issues all the time...

 

[Jaybird180]

Try this experiment...

Sit in a swiveling office chair and spin yourself around for about 30 seconds as fast as you can go. Then come to a complete stop and tilt your head forward so you look down into your lap. I guarantee this will make you feel sick!

I wonder how many people are spinning in chairs right now

 

[Dr. O]

My wife has a soft belly and she has issues all the time...
****************************************

I bet I know who is at the center of her 'issues'...

denny-o

 

[Baron2PG]

Unfortunately, I get motion sickness whenever I'm on a boat in the ocean; in land lakes and rivers no issue at all. I don't have any issue when the boat is moving quickly either. It is the slow roll that kills me. Sucks because I'm a scuba diver. I also have a couple friends who are deep-sea fisherman and they ask me to come along; I know I'm missing a good time.

On the other hand normal flying doesn't cause any issues; I imagine it is the frequencies. I've had an occasional minor upset stomach after some hot bumpy rides.

Now aerobatics is another thing altogether. When the instructor is flying I don't get nauseated as fast but when I'm doing the flying and slogging around like a drunk I get sick much faster. According to the instructor and everything I've read you build up a tolerance for the g's and motion. Currently I can go about 45 minutes!

Myth Busters did a very interesting show: http://kwc.org/mythbusters/2005/11/episode_43_seasickness_cures_f.html

 

[jesse]

Pretty common - I still get it in fact. I've become pretty good at controlling it these days. The less I fly the bigger issue it becomes.

 

[bbchien]

Mike, it's a whole different ball of wax when your sensorimotor is connected to the aircraft controls, when YOU are flying.

That said, even controlling the AC and having feedback to your input doesn't stop it, 90% of it goes away with repetition.

 

[SkyHog]

I only have one lesson under my belt so far and it was fine. Yesterday I took a ride with a pilot friend of mine. It was pretty windy and bumpy. We flew for a little over two hours and about the last 30 minutes or so I got pretty queasy. Worst part was I was queasy all day! Is this normal? I am usually about 50/50 when I go deep sea fishing, half the time I get sick, half the time I dont. Of course I only go about once every three or four years. Anyway, I dont really think its a problem, just curious what others have experienced.

Mike

I had it bad throughout most of my private pilot training in New Mexico. Always got me when I was flying when it was hot, both because it was so bumpy, and also because I felt crappy because I was hot.

I used the pressure band thingie on my wrist for a while, and it helped A LOT. Eventually, I didn't even need it anymore.

 

[eMKay]

Oh, I also add some ginger to my morning coffee on flight days and drink a can of this on the way, Anybody else LOVE Vernors?...

 

[rottydaddy]

Try this experiment...

Sit in a swiveling office chair and spin yourself around for about 30 seconds as fast as you can go. Then come to a complete stop and tilt your head forward so you look down into your lap. I guarantee this will make you feel sick!

That's the one thing I really don't like. Any kind of "teacup" ride makes me a bit queasy, although I love roller coasters, etc.
But you can get used to anything; it's a matter of acclimation by repetition. I think most people who do aerobatics on a regular basis went through a rough patch when they were first getting into it... Bob Hoover is a good example; he was sick on almost every flight until he taught himself aerobatics to try to get over it (it worked, apparently).

And one thing I've noticed with flying is that whenever I have the controls, I am fine, even turning endlessly in a glider in rough thermals. But when someone else has the stick, I am liable to get a little green.

There seems to be a big mental component to motion sickness... if you have a task to perform, maybe it distracts the brain from the confusing inner ear/eye/seat of the pants conflicts.

 

[OffCenter]

And one thing I've noticed with flying is that whenever I have the controls, I am fine, even turning endlessly in a glider in rough thermals. But when someone else has the stick, I am liable to get a little green.

There seems to be a big mental component to motion sickness... if you have a task to perform, maybe it distracts the brain from the confusing inner ear/eye/seat of the pants conflicts.

My buddy who owns the plane I fly is the same way. I've
flown with him through some really rough turbulence and he
was fine....as long as HE was doing the flying.
But if I'm flying, he starts getting queasy. At that point I
just turn the controls over to him.
Makes him a bit crazy that I can sit there and eat
potato chips and drink soda while we're getting bounced silly.

 

[bobmrg]

Two hours is a pretty long time in a small plane, especially if there is turbulence. Time to land and walk around. Flying is supposed to be fun; when the fun stops, stop flying...for a while.

Bob Gardner

 

[Artiom]

When I started private pilot training I usually turned green after 30 minutes or so in flight on a bumpy hot summer day. After couple flies it disappeared and come back toward the end of my training when I spend some time under the hood on a bumpy day. Couple more flies under the hood in turbulence and I got over it. So I believe repetition helps in this case.

 

[bob_albertson]

Mike, it's a whole different ball of wax when your sensorimotor is connected to the aircraft controls, when YOU are flying.

That said, even controlling the AC and having feedback to your input doesn't stop it, 90% of it goes away with repetition.

The instrument rating brings it all back again

I was blessed with the stomach, but not the eyes. Oh well, we all don't win the lottery either

Motion sickness always puzzled me. Some people are fine until they are under the hood. Others do become ill in turbulent weather with an improvement in their symptoms when they went under the hood.

Bob

 

[jesse]

The instrument rating brings it all back again

I was blessed with the stomach, but not the eyes. Oh well, we all don't win the lottery either

Motion sickness always puzzled me. Some people are fine until they are under the hood. Others do become ill in turbulent weather with an improvement in their symptoms when they went under the hood.

Bob

A hood is a quick ticket to being sick for myself. But I've never gotten sick in actual, bumpy or smooth.

 

[COFlyBoy]

I got sick flying safety pilot for my buddy. I think it was all the head swiveling that I was doing to try to keep track of traffic.

I also got sick in the back of a C-130. We were up for a employer appreciation flight (my buddy/co-worker flies for the ANG) in the summer. It wasn't bumpy, but there was lots of slow rolling, and yawing. Took about 45 minutes for me to lose it.

Never been sick if I'm the one flying, though.

 

[flyboy102]

It's definitely a tolerance thing, and goes away with repetition. A big part of nausea is mental. If you're comfortable, low anxiety, and have seen the situation before, chances are you'll be fine. Once it starts find an air vent, look at the horizon, and fly straight and level (with you at the controls). Pressure bands can also help.

Once it starts though, it's not going to get much better until you land. Also, the difference between mildly nauseous and throwing up is typically only one more maneuver. Call it off for the day and try again later. Be prepared to feel a little off for the rest of the day.

Eat a solid meal before flying, but nothing too greasy or heavy. It's a common misconception to think that an empty stomach can't get sick. It actually makes it worse.

In the past I've been sick in cars, boats, gliders, trainers, aerobatic aircraft, airliners, fair rides - just about everything. I fly aerobatics regularly now and rarely get nauseous, however teaching a new student maneuvers can sometimes get me if they're sloppy with the rudder.

 

[denverpilot]

Or use Steve Tupper's trick. Eat bananas. They taste the same coming back up as they did going down...

 

[Steve]

Happens.

Most people get over it.

Bob Hoover claims that the reason he took up aerobatics was to get over air sickness. Look at where he ended up...

Eddie Rickenbacker made a similar comment in his autobiography. Basically said he got sick most every training flight and then one day he didn't and that was the end of it.

 

[steingar]

Every human being on Earth is subject to motion sickness, it just takes more in some than others. I don't tend to suffer it, but I have no doubt if I went up in an aerobatic aircraft and did spins all day, I'd get it. Even if I acclimated to that, odds are you could find a situation (like the swivel chair mentioned) that would make me air sick.

I friend told me about sailing though a storm to the Galapagos, where all on board got it, even the grizzled old hand that made fun of everyone else.

 

[MBDiagMan]

I only have one lesson under my belt so far and it was fine. Yesterday I took a ride with a pilot friend of mine. It was pretty windy and bumpy. We flew for a little over two hours and about the last 30 minutes or so I got pretty queasy. Worst part was I was queasy all day! Is this normal? I am usually about 50/50 when I go deep sea fishing, half the time I get sick, half the time I dont. Of course I only go about once every three or four years. Anyway, I dont really think its a problem, just curious what others have experienced.

Mike

Mike,

I don't know if this will make you feel any better, but Chuck Yeager wrote in his book that the first time he went up in an airplane he got sick as a dog.

Hope this helps.

Doc