The Vomit Commet

[Michael]

Had my first Vomit incident in the mooney this past weekend.passenger, not me. Wasnt your normal vomit either. Ill spare you the deatils. But lets jus say, i might have to have the panel removed to get it all out. Had the bags in the seat back pocket, but couldnt get to them fast enough. this poor kid was holding back untill he just couldnt hold it any longer. spewed like a volcano. The smell and sight was too disturbing. I was only 25 miles out from landing at havasu, but that was the longest 25 miles i have ever done.
Question for Doc Bruce....
What in your opinion was the most likely cause? The passenger just ate breakfast 30 minutes prior. (i could tell what it was too) There was a little turbulance at 8500 so i went upto 10500 and stayed there for about 40 minutes. the ride was smooth. but the kid did say he felt funny. I put a pulse oxometer on him and he read normal. 97% and 80s heart rate. i started descending and at about 5000 he gave it up. It wasnt bad turbulance, but it wasnt smooth. This was also his first small plane ride.

 

[jesse]

Probably just his brain not used to the view, the pitch / row / yaw..of flight.

I get airsick, though I am pretty good at controlling it. If I fly frequently it is not an issue. If I go even two weeks without flying I'll be feeling sick. I can control it by thinking about other things. The best thing is just to always fly once a week and it isn't an issue for me.

I was in a C-150 once with a CFI. I was knocking out all my simulated instrument required for the PPL in one flight, on a hot day. I felt it coming on but didn't want to quit flying. Eventually I realized I was going to be throwing up in about 10 seconds and in a panic I made a bag out of my sectional and threw up in it. The CFI told me to throw it out the window, so I did, some blew back on both of our faces .

I make it real clear with first time passengers from the start. If they start feeling sick tell me, I need to know right away, it is nothing to be embrassed about. I'll also check up on them "if you are feeling sick at all right now tell me."...

It's NOT a fun feeling.

Did you try opening window/ vent/ whatever your mooney has? A rush of air inside the plane quite often makes the motion sickness stop in it's tracks and go away.

 

[Michael]

Did you try opening window/ vent/ whatever your mooney has? A rush of air inside the plane quite often makes the motion sickness stop in it's tracks and go away.

There is a placard on the window that says do not open above 120(?) Airspeed. I didnt want to slow down in order to open the window. I wanted to get down as quickly as possible. We have vents on the top and they were blowing on him.

 

[mattaxelrod]

Ugh, this story is my nightmare! Does the smell EVER come out?

 

[jesse]

There is a placard on the window that says do not open above 120(?) Airspeed. I didnt want to slow down in order to open the window. I wanted to get down as quickly as possible. We have vents on the top and they were blowing on him.

Oh ok. Though for future reference it might be worth it. IME it pretty much will cure airsickness or at least stop it from getting worse.

 

[Ken Ibold]

But lets jus say, i might have to have the panel removed to get it all out. Had the bags in the seat back pocket, but couldnt get to them fast enough. this poor kid was holding back untill he just couldnt hold it any longer. spewed like a volcano. The smell and sight was too disturbing.

First, I bet suddenly you're glad for plastic side panels instead of fabric or leather covered ones.

Second, often if one person starts singing, others will join the chorus.

 

[Michael]

First, I bet suddenly you're glad for plastic side panels instead of fabric or leather covered ones.

Second, often if one person starts singing, others will join the chorus.

First. we have had the interior redone. fabric.
Second, there was some serious heaving going on that last 5 minutes.

 

[AirBaker]

I've got one of those electric anti-motion sickness watches in the flight bag for anyone who MIGHT be airsick. My dad used to get sick all the time through his training and over came most of it.

 

[flyifrvfr]

I had a student who would get sick everytime she flew. I did some research and found that what worked for her was to eat or drink anything with ginger. While we were flying I used all the tricks that are in the book. Open vents, loosen clothing ( I tried in vein to get her to do that ) and look straight ahead and make no sudden movements.

 

[SCCutler]

I'm lucky, only eruption I have had so far was a kid who got barfy aftera short but very bumpy flight from Houston to Austin; he gave plenty of warning, barfed cleanly into the barf bag I handed him, and within thirty seconds of landing, he was fine, and eating Trajen's popcorn like a pig.

That night, going home in glassy-smooth air, he had no problem at all.

Michael, I feel for you, dude. What a tragedy.

Febreze, Febreze, Febreze.

 

[Lawreston]

I've never been airsick, but: in the C-150M, my first trainer(rental) I had a problem with seat height. Shipments of picture frames came to my camera store and were packed amidst inflated plastic bags. Said bags were large and solid enough that I used one as a cushion-beneath-a-seat-cushion in the plane. It worked, perfectly. One day the bag was missing. ???????????????

It seems that a taller pilot rented the plane and took his young son for a flight. The not-needed, inflated cushion was tossed behind the seats. At some point the kid had a funny feeling. An appropriate barf bag not being quickly available, said inflated cushion was grabbed, a pencil deflated it; and something else refilled it. The cabin was spared, except for the negative fragrance.

HR

 

[Steve]

It just so happens the volunteer coordinator for the SW EAA Regional Fly-in (www.swrfi.org) is a flight surgeon at NASA and has ridden the real "Vomit Comet" many times. He told me most astronauts/candidates can handle one or two 0 g sessions without blowing their cookies, but after that the tolerance goes way down. And the aircraft does go through some unusual pitch changes to produce the conditions necessary.

I have a history of airsickness, particularly when it is hot and bumpy and the air is stale in the plane. My personal opinion is it usually brought on by anxiety that increases stomach acid in conjunction with mixed signals to the brain from the eye and vestibular organ. This disorientation for the uninitiated causes the body to go into temporary autonomic "defense mode" trying to regain chemical and physical equilibrium.

SS aka SicSac

 

[AdamZ]

Michael, yes you can get the smell out. Arnold Feldmans kid vomited in the Mooney. The detailer did a great job and got the smell out. Fabreez is amazing stuff.

 

[bbchien]

Question for Doc Bruce....
What in your opinion was the most likely cause? The passenger just ate breakfast 30 minutes prior. (i could tell what it was too) ....It wasnt bad turbulance, but it wasnt smooth. This was also his first small plane ride.

30 minutes is too soon. 60 would be better, but he'd still be nauseated, just with a smaller load.

I think about 80% of nausea is a trainable-to elimination response. A 10 or 12 year old just hasn't had this opportunity. When I fly pax, I usually let charlie do the flying- there is palpable disappointment when there is acceleration applied to the aircraft....they expect to never have the sense of any motion. MOST of the time, but not all I can deliver this except in the first five and last 5 minutes (but twins are much more heavily wing loaded).

Sometimes I'll let the young man have a go at the wheel- the eye-hand-ear stuff seems to eliminate much of the upset tummy.

For the smeel, Fabreez is fine. But so is baking soda in the carpet, followed by a good vacuuming.

Sigh. I vomited on my instrument qual ride after a hour in desert clear air turbulence. I had to have the check airman flare- the yoke was too slippery. I passed.

 

[SkyHog]

Michael - my experience, gathered last week on nausea. Sitting right seat in a Katana (hell's horrible joke for a plane), I started to get really sick. Opened the vent, stared at a fixed point, all that jazz, but no fun. I surpressed the need to let go long enough to get on the ground and get some food.

When we went back up, I was left seat and holding the controls. I felt great! No problems, even in more turbulence than the original trip. Maybe the secret is giving the sickest person the controls.

Other experience with passengers (not throwing up, but close) is that very light turbulence to us is very noticeable to them. We're just used to it. I had one guy complain about SERIOUS turbulence the whole trip when I didn't even notice one little bump. Odd.

 

[wsuffa]

Nearly made my CFI puke early in my commercial training. I was fine.

We beat a fast retreat back to home base....

 

[poadeleted1]

Michael - my experience, gathered last week on nausea. Sitting right seat in a Katana (hell's horrible joke for a plane), I started to get really sick.

I take it this is a negative endorsement of a Katana? DA20 A1 or C1? A1? Absolutely agree. The C1 is not that bad, although sitting in the greenhouse in AZ could be bad. I recall in MA in winter, OAT about 25, it was toasty inside with the heat off until we got moving and had airflow.

Give that C1 about another 25 HP and let her go! Honest 110 cruise could be better at 120. And maybe 10 more gallons of fuel for that mo biggah mill.

 

[bstratt]

My younger son got sick EVERY time he went up with me. One time he was visiting me in CT and wanted to see the statue of liberty so I took him down the Hudson corridor and around the lady (with bag ever present!). We were almost home and I remarked that he seemed to get over his airsickness when he was interested in looking outside. Less than 30 seconds later he was using the bag. I'm convinced its phsycosomatic. My first wife used to get sick standing on the dock looking at the boat!

 

[The rogue]

Yep, motion sickness is really bad. I used to fly pipeline patrol in a DA-40 and had problems with this. Nothing worse than a hot bumpy day in a plane with no shade and is really cramped.

About Febreeze....It will cover the odor pretty well. But also, go to a carpet store (or Lowes/Home Depot etc) and get some "Pet Stain and Odor Remover". This stuff actually breaks down the stain and eats the associated proteins that cause the odor. It really works. Last year someone, who shall remain nameless, left some milk in her husband's Explorer on a 100 degree day. The milk blew up under the seat, and it took 3 bottles of the "Remover" to get it out, but it did finally go away, even though all the car places told me to just sell my truck instead....

Another plus is that this stuff is water based, so it doesn't hurt the carpet or leave any kind of residue.

It is not going to be a fun job, no matter what you use though...

 

[Keith Lane]

When we went back up, I was left seat and holding the controls. I felt great! No problems, even in more turbulence than the original trip. Maybe the secret is giving the sickest person the controls.

I worked a diving charter boat in the Gulf of Mexico a few summers. The waves are small compared to the oceans, but the frequency and at times the angle make for some very unsual roll movements. Seasickness was almost chronic as Panama City is a party town and some of the more foolhardy patrons would eat a big breakfast on a hangover and then go out on a 4,6 or 8 hour trip with us.
With kids, who were (I hope) never suffering the aftereffects of a night on the town we would just let them drive the boat. We'd sit them in the chair, show them the compass, tell them what heading to steer, and while they weren't looking, engage the autopilot. The wheel had enough slop in it they felt as though they were actually steering, and doing a pretty darn good job of staying on course! It NEVER failed to cure even the greenest of gills. Adults, however were a different matter.
Also, if ever there were a patron who was being er, difficult, (yea, that's the word) we could maybe (almost every time) induce a little (ok a lot) of motion discomfort at will. All it took was a little string with a shiny object dangling from a spearpole on top of the cabin for them to watch for a while. All that pitching, rolling, yawing,pitching, rolling, yawing,pitching, rolling, yawing,pitching, rolling, yawing,.......
ugh, I don't feel so good.....

 

[Keith Lane]

About Febreeze....It will cover the odor pretty well. But also, go to a carpet store (or Lowes/Home Depot etc) and get some "Pet Stain and Odor Remover". This stuff actually breaks down the stain and eats the associated proteins that cause the odor. It really works. Last year someone, who shall remain nameless, left some milk in her husband's Explorer on a 100 degree day. The milk blew up under the seat, and it took 3 bottles of the "Remover" to get it out, but it did finally go away, even though all the car places told me to just sell my truck instead....

I'll second that.
I worked on a project where the biologists on the team were using dried herring as bait to lure animals to a counting station. They had a rental Explorer, and were constantly stacking boxes of these fish in the back. Well one weekend, they left 20 or so boxes in the back and one of the windows cracked. I rained 2 or 3 inches befrore their return and all that humidity "reconstituted" the fish. I'm pretty sure we bought every bottle of deodorizer at every Lowes around Raleigh. But in the end, Hertz never knew the difference. We probably would have had to buy the car from Hertz if we hadn't done all that spraying.

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

Had my first Vomit incident in the mooney this past weekend.passenger, not me. Wasnt your normal vomit either. Ill spare you the deatils. But lets jus say, i might have to have the panel removed to get it all out. Had the bags in the seat back pocket, but couldnt get to them fast enough. this poor kid was holding back untill he just couldnt hold it any longer. spewed like a volcano. The smell and sight was too disturbing. I was only 25 miles out from landing at havasu, but that was the longest 25 miles i have ever done.
Question for Doc Bruce....
What in your opinion was the most likely cause? The passenger just ate breakfast 30 minutes prior. (i could tell what it was too) There was a little turbulance at 8500 so i went upto 10500 and stayed there for about 40 minutes. the ride was smooth. but the kid did say he felt funny. I put a pulse oxometer on him and he read normal. 97% and 80s heart rate. i started descending and at about 5000 he gave it up. It wasnt bad turbulance, but it wasnt smooth. This was also his first small plane ride.

I request 2 full hours from last eating of any kind before a flight with a newbie. Barf bags are issued "just in case" to each. Limiting fluids intake to the point that dehydration will safely allow is beneficial in reducing volume.

 

[wesleyj]

Ugh, this story is my nightmare! Does the smell EVER come out?

NO!!!!

 

[flyingcheesehead]

It just so happens the volunteer coordinator for the SW EAA Regional Fly-in (www.swrfi.org) is a flight surgeon at NASA and has ridden the real "Vomit Comet" many times. He told me most astronauts/candidates can handle one or two 0 g sessions without blowing their cookies, but after that the tolerance goes way down.

My sister is an engineer at NASA who trains astronauts on EVA's. She's gotten to ride the real thing too. IIRC she passed out at one point (on one of the 2G segments maybe?) after having fun on the first couple of parabolas.

They do have medical staff aboard to tend to folks who get sick and pass out. Now THOSE guys/gals have some tough stomachs!

 

[Ken Ibold]

My sister is an engineer at NASA who trains astronauts on EVA's. She's gotten to ride the real thing too. IIRC she passed out at one point (on one of the 2G segments maybe?) after having fun on the first couple of parabolas.

Funny to see padded walls ... and then sharp cornered cabinets.

Where's Ralph Nader these days?

 

[Richard]

Linda Pendleton is a flight surgeon at Edwards AFB. She has a great presentation for av seminars which include some really great videos of parabolic flights. She has a website but I don't have it right now. Do a google search.

I'm not sure about how accessable it is now, but they also have a hyperbaric chamber at Edwards which GA pilots could schedule a ride. It's informative and fun. It's quite possible you would be riding along with astronauts in the chamber.