Home | Issues | Articles | Aviation Glossary | Q&A | A Personal View | Polls

A Personal View

04/08 - Motion Sickness Preventing You From Flying?

By Steve Krog
Steve Krog is a flight instructor, EAA member and president of the Cub Association.

A number of people with a desire for learning to fly have approached me expressing this interest, but they have one burning concern—motion sickness. They are somewhat prone to motion sickness and, as a result, have denied themselves the wonderful experience and challenge of learning to fly. Can anything be done to overcome motion sickness? Yes, definitely!

What is motion sickness? Is it common to experience motion sickness? Can it be overcome?

Motion sickness is not that uncommon. It is more prevalent among children but can be experienced at any age. A pilot may experience motion sickness during initial flights, but it generally goes away within the first few lessons. Anxiety and stress, which may be experienced at the beginning of flight training, can contribute to motion sickness.

Symptoms of motion sickness include general discomfort, nausea, dizziness, paleness, sweating, and vomiting. Ask any astronaut and he or she will tell you that at some time during a shuttle flight everyone has experienced a bout of motion sickness.

Motion sickness is a common disturbance of the inner ear caused by repeated motion, such as the motion of an airplane in bumpy or turbulent air. In the inner ear, motion sickness affects the sense of balance and equilibrium and, thus, the sense of spatial orientation. It is most likely to occur with complex types of movement, especially movement that is slow or involves movement in two different directions—horizontally and vertically—at the same time.

For example, when watching a picture that depicts a moving scene, our vision tells our brain that there is movement, but our inner ear is telling our brain that there is no movement, causing a conflict in the brain. Some people will develop motion sickness in such a situation with no motion at all.

Fortunately, I’ve never experienced motion sickness while flying. However, while sitting in an Imax theater watching the movie To Fly, I experienced a bout of motion sickness.

My brain was telling me I was twisting and turning in flight even though I was sitting still.

Spatial disorientation is the mistaken perception of one’s position and motion relative to the earth. Any condition that deprives the student pilot of natural, visual references to maintain orientation, such as clouds, fog, haze, darkness, and terrain or sky backgrounds with indistinct contrast, can rapidly cause spatial disorientation.

I have worked with a number of students who were prone to motion sickness, and I have been able to help each one of them not only overcome it but also continue on and become pilots.

One student that comes to mind was a U.S. Air Force ROTC primary flight cadet. He had always dreamed of becoming an Air Force pilot but had never before flown in any type of airplane prior to beginning flight training. Within the first 15 minutes of each flight for the first six or seven hours, he would experience a bout of motion sickness. When asked if he would prefer concluding the flight at that point, his response was always an emphatic no. Within a few minutes the sickness would pass and the flight continued. He went on to become an Air Force pilot.

I also dealt with another situation that was even more challenging. A friend who had been flying for years had recently married. His wife had never before flown in a small general aviation airplane. Each time they attempted to take a pleasure flight, his wife would get quite ill with motion sickness. It became progressively worse, reaching a point whereby she would become queasy even while taxiing to the runway.

Quite forlorn, she approached me one Sunday afternoon after a bout of motion sickness that prevented them from attending a fly-in and asked if there was anything that could be done to help her overcome this frustrating problem. I suggested that she agree to fly with me for three short flight lessons over three consecutive early evenings. The air is usually free of thermals and quite smooth the last hour or so before sunset. The first lasted about 15 minutes. I had her handle the controls doing some shallow turns over the airport. When we returned to the airport she reported no hint of feeling queasy. The next evening after work we flew for about 30 minutes; again, no sign of feeling ill. The following evening we flew again, this time for about 45 minutes with nary a hint of queasiness.

At the flight’s conclusion we reviewed the idea of nose attitude flying, and I suggested trying a short flight with her husband. The response I received caught me by surprise. She not only didn’t get sick, but also had begun to relax and enjoy the flight. And then she said, “This has been so much fun, I’d like to continue taking lessons.” She went on with the flight lessons and earned a private pilot certificate. To date, she has accrued about 300 hours of flying time, never once experiencing a hint of motion sickness.

I share these experiences to show that even the worst case of motion sickness can usually be overcome. Currently, I am working with two young men who are prone to motion sickness. We schedule our flights for early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the air is free of thermals and most bumps. Both have made significant progress in overcoming that “queasy stomach.”

Experiencing motion sickness is no reflection on one’s ability as a pilot. If prone to motion sickness, let your flight instructor know, as there are techniques that can be employed to overcome this problem. Avoid lessons in turbulent conditions until you become more comfortable in the airplane. As I mentioned, fly shorter lessons at first and graduate up to longer instruction periods as you become more comfortable.

When I fly with someone for the first time, I subtly but continually remind him or her to keep his or her eyes on the horizon. Not only is this a key part of attitude flying, but also it helps prevent motion sickness. By focusing on the horizon, even if the air is a bit bumpy, the student is visually fixing on something that isn’t moving. In addition, I always make sure that we have a good flow of fresh air passing through the cabin.

There are a few other tips that can be practiced as well if you think you are prone to motion sickness. Watch your consumption of foods, drinks, etc. that do not agree with you or make you feel unusually full. Avoid eating heavy, spicy, and fat-rich foods before flying. Try to eat a light meal or snack an hour or two before your scheduled flight. Then eat that monster pepperoni pizza and 20-ounce soda after your flight lesson is over. Pepperoni, in my opinion, just doesn’t taste very good when it’s recycled!

As a flight instructor I also remind students to practice “fitness for flight.” This would also apply to anyone who may be prone to motion sickness.

1. Illness—have you experienced a recent illness such as a bad head cold or a bout of the flu? If so, you may want to postpone your flight for another day or two until you again feel 100 percent.
2. Medication—are you taking any medications that either cause an upset stomach or make you feel lightheaded? If so, I would recommend postponing the flight.
3. Alcohol—one of the worst things you can do is attempt a flight the day after a night of consuming alcohol.
4. Fatigue—have you short-changed yourself on sleep in the last day or two? Make sure you get a good night’s rest before taking a flight lesson.
5. Stress—persons experiencing stressful conditions are more prone to motion sickness. Try to relieve or avoid stressful situations before flight.
6. Emotion—are you experiencing an emotional challenge in your life? Emotion causes both stress and preoccupation, which can lead to motion sickness.

Though you may think you are prone to motion sickness, don’t let that feeling deter you from the pleasure of learning to fly. Rarely is the case where motion sickness cannot be overcome. Put into practice some of the tips I’ve mentioned and you too can soon be on your way toward achieving a sport or private pilot certificate.

Comments: