Motion sickness
Posted by Sensitive_Past8983@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 23 comments
Hi! I have just recently started my training in NZ. I have been on 5 flights yet (2 as pax and 3 as lessons). Out of those 5, I have thrown up twice (once in the last flight). I have a few questions about it:
1) Does this ever go away?
2) Can I control it now?
3) What if it doesn't go away soon?
cptnpiccard@reddit
Hydration, and I used those electrolyte tablets on the water. Don't overdrink it, or you'll have to pee.
Eating a light meal. Bread with nothing on it, or a boiled egg. Something in your stomach.
Ginger lozenges. I don't really believe in home remedies but I was desperate and tried everything.
I did these three and felt 80% better on my next flight, then 100% better on the next. Good luck.
Sensitive_Past8983@reddit (OP)
Wow this beings me a lot more confidence! Definitely gonna try these next time! Thank you!!
Vituperate250@reddit
I felt sick for a bunch of my early flight lessons. Eventually it went away, in combination with a few personal changes.
I made sure I had eaten well before a training flight. I don't mean a big meal, I mean a healthy meal. I also ensured that I was hydrated before and, when it's hot out, during flights.
I found that, early on in training, looking down at the ground was a problem for me. I recall reading somewhere that the brain/body sometimes reacts to flight as "This must be a hallucination, you must have eaten the funny mushrooms, so now it's time to purge your tummy".
There are a handful of other common suggestions for dealing with motion sickness.
I'm sure there are suggestions I'm missing. Those are the ones I use with my students and passengers.
It's also worth saying that you're super early in training. Keep yourself fit, well rested, properly fed, and properly hydrated. Do some research beyond my suggestions for what could help your motion sickness. Give all this some time, and give yourself time to adapt to the flying environment. There's a lot going on up there, it's normal for some bodies to react with defensive measures.
Alarming_Syllabub_44@reddit
THIS, also make sure to eat something light an hour before your flight and stay hydrated!
Sensitive_Past8983@reddit (OP)
Wow thanks a ton! Fells good to hear that others have faced a similar issue and have gotten through it.
Vituperate250@reddit
You're welcome! I bet you can work through it. It's certainly worth it if you can. I started my first airline job in Hanuary this year, took over 9 years to get there including many flights that ended with me feeling sick or even feeling defeated. It's all part of the process, and I sincerely wish you all the best throughout it all.
pilotshashi@reddit
Get a motion sickness band. It won’t do much, but it will definitely divert your attention.
retiredaaer@reddit
Google “Bob Hoover”. The best stick and rudder pilot who ever lived, had air sickness when he started. He overcame it by learning to do Aerobatics.
AIRdomination@reddit
When first started flight training, I also threw up on my first two flights and felt motion sick on the following two flights. I was told it gets better the more you do it, but it wasn’t pleasant. I told myself that if I still wasn’t feeling good by 6 flights that I would quit.
I was told to go flying during the early mornings at first when there was the least amount of turbulence. Mostly just after sunrise. It helped a lot and I got over it when it came time to the bumpier days. Especially once you weren’t struggling to multitask.
Long story short, I’m now flying professionally and have over 5500 hours. You might be able to get over this hump depending on how bad your motion sickness is, but just letting you know that it is possible.
StageMajestic613@reddit
I’ll get downvoted for this as snake oil, but I really think it does work for me. I’m very prone to sea sickness. Multiple stalls and steep turns the other day with zero issues.
https://www.sportys.com/reliefband-sport.html
RogLatimer118@reddit
I have a fairly sensitive stomach. I felt nauseated for a while but after a while you adjust to it if you tough it out. At least I did. And I'll still throw up on a rough boat, too.
terry-the-platypus@reddit
I also train in NZ and I know a guy who has flown for over 400 hours, has his PPL, CPL, MEIR and was trying to become a C-Cat but still throws up every 2-3 flights… it may go away when you get used to it though. When I take passengers out, the first time a lot of them feel nauseous but then they get used to it from them on, so maybe it’ll go away for you too
Sensitive_Past8983@reddit (OP)
Oh wow that's definitely scary that you can go so far and still have motion sickness. But it also relieves me that at least I can get this far!
oh_helloghost@reddit
I barfed my way through the first half of my PPL and then intermittently through my CPL.
It does get better.
Best advice I can give you is to listen to your body. Build tolerance gradually by communicating how you are feeling with your instructor and cutting lessons short if you have to. Trying to push through doesn’t work and you won’t learn anything because you’ll be so distracted. Throwing up and trying to continue doesn’t work.
On top of all the usual stuff (eyes outside, being hydrated etc etc…) Strong mints and ginger chews both helped me a little.
HardCorePawn@reddit
Generally, yes... the more you do it, the more your body becomes accustomed to moving in all three dimensions, especially when the sight picture doesn't necessarily match what your inner ear is perceiving.
There are countless posts in this sub regarding motion sickness or airsickness. A lot of them have really good tips and suggestions for managing it. I would suggest reading through a few of those other threads to get some tips.
Best of luck with the training... I hope the winter weather is kind to you!
Sensitive_Past8983@reddit (OP)
Thank you kind sir! I'll make sure to read all the threads in other posts and try all I can to cure this.
nkawtgpilot@reddit
I threw up on 13 different flights in the Tweet… I still graduated UPT and went on to have a successful career in the USAF and am now a wide body captain at a major US Airline. If you want it bad enough you can do it, biggest thing is not giving up snd doing your best to learn in between getting sick. We’d spin the T-37, I’d do the recovery, throw up afterwards, tie the bag off and put it in my leg pocket, climb back up, spin again, recover and then add another bag to my pocket, but I never gave up and I never said let’s call it a day and head home before I finished my profile.
Sensitive_Past8983@reddit (OP)
Wow! That's actually super inspiring. I'll make sure to take multiple sick bags now and train my level best! Thanks a lot!
BazingaBeeKay@reddit
I’ll let others chime in, but I could imagine if the motion sickness is affecting you this much already, I can’t imagine it getting much better.
Flying just may not be for you, and that’s okay.
I wish you the best of luck.
TravisJungroth@reddit
Sometimes it's better not to speak up if you don't know. Usually, "is this going to get better?" is one of those cases.
FiberApproach2783@reddit
That's just straight up untrue?😭 A lot of people get motion sick during their first few flights, especially as passengers. Usually after your first 10-20 hours it'll go away.
BazingaBeeKay@reddit
Alright, well then hopefully their experience is the same. That would be a bummer. OP I wish you the best
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Hi! I have just recently started my training in NZ. I have been on 5 flights yet (2 as pax and 3 as lessons). Out of those 5, I have thrown up twice (once in the last flight). I have a few questions about it:
1) Does this ever go away?
2) Can I control it now?
3) What if it doesn't go away soon?
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