Student pilot's first flight....

Question

I had my first flight lesson today , and it was going very well , but then towards the end i start feeling terribly sick , and i threw up! :( My instructor said its normal , and happens to everyone , but i was so embarrassed. Is there anyway i can avoid getting sick? It was an early morning flight and i had not had breakfast , just water.

Also , i couldnt help but get a little scared when my instructor swooped the plane downwards a little bit.I felt like i was going to plunge right to earth . My heart was in my mouth! And then i was jittery for the rest of the flight :( I really want to get over this fear , what can i do? And is this normal for a first flight?

Thanks alot!

Answer 1

I just finished my PPL with a group of 8. One of my friends got airsick all the time. But after about 2 weeks (flying almost daily) he stopped feeling sick. So just fly more and take motion sickness tablets for now.

It also helps to eat a lil something but nothing big before flying.  

Answer 2

Ive been a private pilot since 1994.  What I've found to be the main causes of motion sickness is either the pilot maneuvering the aircraft, or the air currents.  Small motions are necessary to put the aircraft where it needs to be in the sky but the pilot can give you a great roller coaster ride also.  Next time, pick a calm day, usually very early in the morning or just before sunset.  An overcast day can also be very calm if it's not stormy.  And let the pilot know you got air sick last time, they'll work with you.  Most of the time the pilot aims to please and wants no more than for you to have a great time.  By the way, as you take the controls and learn to make the aircraft go where you want it to go, and are in control of you movements, they won't seem near as random. Lots of luck.  

Answer 3

You shouldn't get sick if you are at the controls of the airplane, unless it's really rough. Your instructor should keep you out of rough air for your first few lessons at least.

The instructor also shouldn't touch the controls except to demonstrate things you should be doing, or to keep you in control. So the "swoop" strikes me as something that shouldn't have been done at all.

If you do feel sick in the future, speak up immediately, generally speaking, the very moment the wheels touch the ground again your woozieness should end.

Answer 4

I just finished my private license a about 5 months ago, and from all the pilots I've talked to your instructor is right, it is quite common! I've never thrown up in the plane, but I've had to ask the instructor to fly back and as soon as we got on the ground I've thrown up! But if your really want to get your license don't give up!! Your stomach does adjust. . .

And trust me most of the illness is just nerves! You'll feel more comfortable soon! And as you gain experience and knowledge about your aircraft and your abilities you are so focused on everything else that you wont worry so much about how you feel!

And of course make sure you eat before you fly, but not so much that you'll feel stuffed full and yucky. . . If you don't feel 100% on the ground it'll only get worse with altitude! And remember, most importantly stay calm! Don't stress, and next time you fly certainly don't worry about getting sick! Just relax and enjoy the ride!! It'll be worth it I promise!!

Good Luck dear!!

Answer 5

Don't beat yourself up over getting sick on an airplane.  It's normal for it to happen at first.  That's one of those things that you will probably get over after a while.  Even my air force fighter pilot friend gets nauseous if he hasn't been doing his fighter jet stuff in a while.  

As for your fear, just keep going up.  I've flown professionally for years, in the airlines, but my first 10 or so hours, as a student pilot, were rough for me.  I was quite nervous at first, especially when it was bumpy or when doing stalls and what not.  I got over it by forcing myself to go up and practicing that stuff over and over.  By the time I had a few solo hours under my belt, all my fear was gone.  Keep at it.  The only way to get over your fears is to face them head on.

Answer 6

I've given 900 hours of flight instruction and not one of my students got sick.  But I fly very smooth.

Try loosening your collar, open an air vent, focus on the horizon and not the gauges and, yes, eat something prior.

The swooping can be conquered by jumping on a trampoline and doing knee flips or spining on the human gyro at an amusement park or maybe even just swinging high on a playground swing.

Answer 7

Yes.  It's normal.

When I started taking lessons I didn't go a full hour without getting an upset stomach until around the fourth lesson.  All previous lessons had to be cut short for my stomach.

Eat normal before a lesson - maybe a little on the light side, and not just before the flight.

Try telling your instructor you ate a package of chocolate cookies just before you got to the airport.  Maybe he'll be a little more gentle.

Answer 8

This is not unusual at all, don't worry about it. The feeling will go away as you get used to flying. Even Check Yeager was sick his on first few flights! Not a big deal, just move on.  

Answer 9

Telling you it is normal and it will go away (maybe) does not help in my view. Get proactive. there is a  device that will solve your problem while you get used to flying most do, some never do).

Using  the Relief band  has kept my plane puke free.

see:http://www.aeromedix.com/aeromedix_artic...

Answer 10

Actually, the "swooping" and "plunging" is of greater concern. Might you be exaggerating? Not typical to "swoop" and "plunge" with a first time student. Anyway, I got "sick" on my first flight at age 13 in a Piper Cherokee. It wasn't dual--went up with a Private Pilot. The flight was smooth. I was just nervous. That's the only time it ever happened. It was a minor event and I made expert use of a handy airsick bag. Never happened again. In the years that followed, soloed on my 16th b-day, commercial-instrument at age 18, CFI at 19, etc. ATP and thousands of hours now. Good luck.