Spatial Disorientation

gromm44

gromm44

Well-Known Member
I got a question for you CFIs, but I guess anybody could answer it. I have my private and am hoping to get everything thru my ATP as soon as possible. One thing dawned on me recently though while I got slightly car sick the other day. Are there guys who just cant handle looking at only the instruments without getting sick all the time? Is it something you tend to get accustomed to over time? I don't want to take out a loan to get back into to school to find out I cant get through instrument training because I get sick all the time. I would go up with an instructor and do some hood work, but I don't know if going up once or twice will tell me anything. Is it generally something you get used to , or it more a black and white type of thing?
 
I'm not going to say that everyone gets "sick" from doing instrument work... But, that is sort of the point of the training. Learning to trust something other than your body when it comes time to make important decisions.

Let me ask you this, have you ever been car sick while driving? Or is it only when being a passenger? There is a lot to be said about being the one in control of the situation in respect to the way that your body reacts to the movements. Getting sick is typically a body response to not knowing what's happening. When you're the one in control, the body has a lot more information to go off of.

Not a CFI, buy many hours flying with lots of different people. Some of which had sickness to start out. In fact, I would say that 70-80% of crew members on my aircraft have a difficult time with sickness the first time they're on-board for an air refueling. Not having windows in the back, with a LOT of abnormal movement, makes for some interesting feelings back there.
 
Yeah you're right, I have never been sick while driving. That's good to know. Makes me wonder what its like to be the co-pilot in IMC, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it.
 
I think it's an individual thing and something you get used to quickly. Two friends of mine felt sick enough to stop the 1 or 2 flights after being under the hood for an hour. They continued and have been fine ever since.

I've never been car sick or air sick but there is one time I started to get a slight touch of air sickness. We were doing unusual attitudes and I had the hood on. After being spun around a few times (that's what I think it feels like sometimes) I recovered and then kind of say, "whoah don't feel so good".

I attend a large flight school and have not heard of anyone that consistency keeps getting sick. There are many who get sick at first but they get used to the motions.
 
I used to get sick sometimes doing unusual attitudes with my instructor, but it was usually because I hadn't eaten anything that day.

Sent from my vzw 100 smoke signal machine
 
Some instrument students get sick while wearing the hood the first few times, but I've never heard of anybody having a "major problem" with it. I don't think anybody would wash out of instrument training due to that. If you're a pilot and don't get airsick normally then it shouldn't be an issue.
 
Thanks for all the responses. That makes me feel better. I was hoping it was just a beginner thing.
 
gromm44, if you are worried about getting sick, look up the Puma Method for motion sickness and do it every night before bed. Also, be very familiar with the approach plates and charts, it will make you more comfortable in the cockpit. EVERY pilot I know has had motion sickness. The conversation always starts out with, "I don't get sick" and then another pilot will admit to it, then everyone chimes in with, "well, except this one time".
 
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