Motion Sickness :(

Jacob Wall

Jacob Wall

Well-Known Member
Howdy,

I never thought I would get motion sickness, but I'm getting it now. I've got 50 hrs of flight time, not a whole lot but definitely enough time to get past the initial somewhat common motion sickness whilst learning to fly. For the last three or four flights I've gotten really motion sick and the last two I have had to throw my hands up and hurry back to the airport. Sadly, yet thankfully today because I had an instructor with me, I threw up. While quite embarrassing, I didn't get any puke in the airplane - even though I threw up out the window. SCORE!

Do you have any tips as to get over this motion sickness? I ate a healthy meal before, nothing in regards to when I eat or how much has changed lately. I've got my checkride in 12 days and I really don't like having my flights getting cut short because I'm sick or the thought that I'll puke on my checkride(I scheduled my checkride in the morning, but still after the oral it will be almost the afternoon). Changing my flights to the morning really wouldn't be possible. :(


http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/6992/photooou.jpg :rawk:
 
Don't feel bad, I have over 200 hours and I can still get motion sick from time to time (damn you gliders!)

Ginger works best for me - I try to keep it in my bag.
 
Focus on what you're doing, not getting sick. Most of it is mental and once you decide you're not going to get sick that's just that.

I used to get seasick very badly but all that went away after I was IFR rated.
 
Jacob Wall said:
Howdy,

I never thought I would get motion sickness, but I'm getting it now. I've got 50 hrs of flight time, not a whole lot but definitely enough time to get past the initial somewhat common motion sickness whilst learning to fly. For the last three or four flights I've gotten really motion sick and the last two I have had to throw my hands up and hurry back to the airport. Sadly, yet thankfully today because I had an instructor with me, I threw up. While quite embarrassing, I didn't get any puke in the airplane - even though I threw up out the window. SCORE!

Do you have any tips as to get over this motion sickness? I ate a healthy meal before, nothing in regards to when I eat or how much has changed lately. I've got my checkride in 12 days and I really don't like having my flights getting cut short because I'm sick or the thought that I'll puke on my checkride(I scheduled my checkride in the morning, but still after the oral it will be almost the afternoon). Changing my flights to the morning really wouldn't be possible. :(


http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/6992/photooou.jpg :rawk:
Click to expand...

[Take] a ginger pill.

Reference (Taken from MythBusters Episode 43: Seasickness - Kill or Cure?):http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBusters_(2005_season)#Seasickness_-_Kill_or_Cure.3F


Summary:

Both Adam and Grant made it through their spin-chair sessions without feeling ill.


FMI:
http://www.leftseat.com/ginger.htm
 
look outside the aircraft, not inside. focus on an object far in the distance, open your vents
MQ said a seaband, i had a student who tried one and it worked
those electroshock bands worked for a student of mine too.
ginger pills can help some
i always tell students (especially in this hot weather) that not eating is your one way ticket to throwing up in an airplane. it holds true for me, at least. if i havent eating for 12-16 hours I get an upset stomach. not enough to puke, but i definitely feel it.
Good luck to you though, eventually you will overcome it, especially if you have the desire to! Keep on keepin on!
 
CFIscare said:
:yeahthat:

Nothing to be ashamed about.
Click to expand...

Never had any problems until well into my training. I think it does have plenty to do with mindset. If you think you're going to get sick on the flight, you probably will.

That said, after reading this thread, I went out and bought some $6.99 100 count Ginger Root soft gels.
 
Once you get more comfortable flying, it normally goes away. The biggest factor that I have noticed in people I know/knew with motion sickness in airplanes is anxiety. It could be that you are subconsciously (or consciously) afraid of some aspect of the flight envelope and it could just take some time to overcome that. This is normal, and nothing to be alarmed about. I knew a girl who went all the way through flight school secretly puking in a bag and stashing it in her flight suit so that nobody would know. Finally stopped part way through jet training, and is happily flying in E/A-18G's now. You too can get through it!
 
Take ginger and stay hydrated. I fly in Texas so right now its a pain and you cant get away from the heat and bumps. I always water bottles with me just encase. Next time you go flying take some black trash bags with you. It helps to ease the mind knowing that if you get sick, you can do it in privacy to an extent and be clean about it. Hang in there, and when you are doing your check ride you will be thinking about way too much stuff and you wont have time to even feel sick.
 
Yup, it happens. I hadn't been sick in the air in a long time, up until today. 95 degree heat plus humidity, plus some lift and sitting in the back of a 172 during tons of airwork, and well, I had to tell the two guys up front that I was going to be getting sick if we didn't get on the ground.
 
Murdoughnut said:
Don't feel bad, I have over 200 hours and I can still get motion sick from time to time (damn you gliders!)
Click to expand...

You are not the first! Powered Aircraft spend most of their time in level flight. Gliders are mostly in a 45+ degree bank for hours on end. Most people are not accustomed to acceleration forces for such long periods of time.

Spend an hour or two doing nothing but steep turns and spiral dives. After that, everything else will probably bother you less. I don't really know what I'm talking about though, I've never had motion sickness.
 
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