Originally Posted by
AZFlyer
Thanks for your reply, RedEye.
A simpler question for you or anyone else.....
How long does it generally take for pilots to become acclimated to the type of flying required of fighter pilots?
For a guy to go from primarily straight and level flight into the high-g and abrupt maneuvers of a fighter must be a bit disorienting at first, I would think...maybe even causing airsickness in the begining. I've never experienced any aerobatic flight (other than pushing my piper into a steep dive for a few seconds of weightlessness, hardly aerobatic, I know), so I don't know yet how my body will tolerate the ride!
I remember a couple of my first few flights at the begining of my training brought a little bit of stomach discomfort, but that went away. Perhaps its the same thing?
It has been a while, but in Primary flight training they take you up for a "FAM" ride (familiarization). They do Loops and Barrel rolls, spins and other basic aerobatic manuevers. Many folks get airsick but some do not. I remember feeling a little unsteady on the first two. After about 3 rides, they can usually tell who has the Stomach for it and who doesn't. Some guys barfed their guts out and quit, others barfed their guts out but kept going. Everyone is different. Some folks adapt much quicker than others.
If you are lucky enough to get fighters, they do sort of the same thing when you go out on your first Fighter ride. The Manuevers are pretty much the same but they happen faster and are more intense. The G forces are much higher. Some guys got queezy on their first or second fighter ride, but by then it ususally passes quickly.