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Motion sickness

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oilcanbland

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 25, 2001
Posts
84
Had my first lesson today. It went really well, except the fact that I got a little motion sickness. We were in a 152 boucing around on a sunny day. I'm not familiar concerning the regs on taking motion sickness pills before flying. Are you allowed to do that? Any other advice and would be appreciated.

Thanks
(and go easy on me, it was my first lesson)
 
Not sure about the motion sickness pills, but they also have those wristband things. I think they have to do with presure points that are supposed to help.

If it helps you any, i got sick every flight for a week when i started. Some of it im sure had to do with anxiety....fearing if i would get sick again, and that just made it worse. Try to not think about it. Your body will get used to it and you will be fine.

Here i am 3000hrs later and doing great. Good lick and dont give up.

1900cpt
 
I agree with 1900cpt, just give it some time. I remember when I just started and flying in those hot 152's on a summer day with all the bumps, geez those conditions are enough to make anyone sick. DOn't worry about it, as you get more time and get more comfortable it should pass. A lot of it seems to be mind control, if you are thinking about getting sick it just makes it worse. Try putting the vent in the windscreen blowing right on your face and take deep breaths. That helps a lot. Also drink a lot of cold water before going so that you don't dehydrate in the plane. And then if you do throw up it is just water. Avoid eating right before flying, give yourself at least a few hours before so your food can settle. I have only gotten sick a few times in the early years and the conditions were exactly what you described when it happened to me, so don't worry you'll pull through. Good luck with you lessons and fly safe!

SD
 
You hit the nail on the head. Worrying about getting sick again is what makes me sick the most. It probably won't actually be the bumps. It's the anxiety that you mentioned.

Thanks, you guys made me feel a little better.
(and not as much of a wuss)
 
Give it some more time. I too got "weak" on my first lesson. I found if I eat about 1 hr before, I do well. Never had another problem through the rest of my ppl.

But ,a 1.5 hr x-cntry under the hood in moderate turb was about all I could take a couple weeks ago.....
 
When I was a new instructor I was teaching CAP cadets in a week-long solo encampment. One of my students would get airsick every flight. We had to cut his flights short because he would get airsick. We were in the first week of August in Oklahoma and the low-level turbulance was making him queasy. I was concerned because my student was getting behind and might not solo. I asked one of the more experienced instructors what to do. He said that people don't get sick during their solos. So, we went into the pattern on the next flight and as soon as he was landing the airplane consistently I turned him loose. He did fine.

Stay away from motion sickness medication.
 
We got off the ground at about 9:30am. I also got out of bed and went straight to the airport, without food.

That was probably my problem right there.
 
Back when I was doing my IFR training, I had too much to drink the night before. I don't think I was hungover...maybe a little sour stomach.

Anyway, it was a 90+ day in sunny/humid Florida, and I learned why you should have absolutely zero aftereffects until flying. We were on approach, and I was under the hood. We were getting bumped around due to the building cumulus. I broke out in a sweat and started feeling sick and disoriented because I could not see anything. I thought to myself that if this was real IFR, I would be in serious trouble. Live and learn.

I read Chuck Yeagers book and he talked about throwing up after a hard night of drinking and then getting in the cockpit for a test flight!
 
I have found that a full stomach keeps your belly from "sloshing" around during turbulence. I too am one of the "bucket brigade". I would get queasy often during my initial training. Finally I filled a sicksack on my first dual x-country. I felt a lot better after puking my guts out into a sicksack. I did pretty well after that. The next time I got airsick was sitting in the jumpseat during training for an airline. The pilot flying was supposedly doing steep turns. All I know is that we were pulling G's/floating/pulling G's/floating...all without a discernable horizon. I was sweating my butt off and thought I'd puke for sure. Guess what...no biggy, the instructor was getting a little queasy himself with this abomination of "flying". For all of my fellow brothers and sisters in the Bucket Brigade...I salute you!
 
Twelve years ago I was one ride away from puking my way out of AF flight screening. I spent so much time worrying about barfing that it made it inevitable that I would. A buddy of mine gave me some of that over the counter motion sickness medicine (I'm spacing out and can't remember the name). Anyway, I took that and it relaxed me to the point that I didn't fixate on airsickness. Used it for maybe 5 rides and never got sick again. It's almost a placebo type thing. I think 90% of airsickness is caused by worrying about it too much. Take away that fixation and you start concentrating on attitude/altitude/airspeed and you don't think about getting sick.

Anyway, worked for me and I've logged over 3000 hrs since without a problem. Maybe try that if nothing else works. Or drink a fifth of whiskey the day before like Yeager did, but I don't recommend that one for many reasons.

K.C.
 

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