Are there any pilots who suffer from motion sickness?

Question

I'm planning on getting my pilot's license soon. I have wanted to be a private pilot all my life, but I have always been prone to motion sickness. Even the swings at the park have made me feel queasy. Are there any pilots who experience the same thing? How do you cope with the motion sickness?

Answer 1

yeah, i has the same concern when i first started cos i was abit queasy when i first started learning how to fly but it went away within about 2 wks or so.

Answer 2

Yes.  In the fighter world there's a saying, "there's those who have...and those who will".  Three things help most folks:

1- 100% oxygen

2- request to take the controls.  Concentrating on flying takes your brain cells away from the discomfort

3- Avoid rapid changes from positive to negative G (and back).  At least until you get used to it.

Since I doubt you'll have access to 1, and you're probably not doing acro (3), when you feel unwell, request the controls and focus on the horizon.

Answer 3

Some people have good results with ginger supplements before flying, so that's another one to try.

Answer 4

I used to pretty bad motion sickness when I was first learning to fly. Others have said you get used to it and it's true. You do get used to it but you would have to fly fairly regularly and you would have to build up a tolerance to the bumps and jiggles an airplane experiences.

I would begin by flying early in the day before the turbulence builds up too much or fly later in the afternoon after the turbulence settles a bit. When you get used to that, start flying a little later in the morning when the turbulence starts to build. It's a matter of habit and accommodation.

For what it's worth, the famous German fighter pilot Werner Molders got horribly airsick during his training but persevered, overcame it and went on to become one of Germany's top aces during both the Spanish civil war and WW2.

Persistence. It can work for you, too!

Answer 5

Yeah, you get used to it.  Bob Hoover, a famous airshow pilot, gets sick when someone else flies the plane.  He has to fly himself.  Ever heard of Chuck Yeager?  He broke the sound barrier back in 1945.  He got sick the first time he tried to ride in a plane.  Just take your time and start slow.  Good luck.