I recently had a 2000-hour student in the T-38; an airline pilot going to the Air Guard. Air Force pilot training was his first real exposure to aerobatics and other stresses in-flight.

He yakked a few times early on. I found out he was not eating at all after he had puked a few times. Wrong way to go.

I (and others) advised him:

Don't have a really full stomach, but not empty either. Bulk that is light (popcorn, crackers, bagel) is perfect.

The stomach is a big bag of a muscle, with two important muscles at the top and bottom to keep everything inside. Up until you started flying, all it had to do was hold about one-half to one-pound of food at a time, and gravity always pulled it down.

Start doing airwork, and that food may 'weigh' three lbs in a steep turn (3-gs), or 'feel' like no weight at less than 1-g....yet it is still pushing on your stomach (feels full), and your mind revolts beacuse it doesn't make sense.

Here's the good news: like any muscle, it gets toughened by training it. Eat lightly but consistently, and your stomach will toughen up. I think a small sandwich should be fine (a little protein makes it last longer).