AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2020 - 24

FLYING LIFE

Airsickness got you down?

BY NATALIE BINGHAM HOOVER

Tips for easing that queasy feeling
ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOMENTS as a flight instructor
was when a client asked me to help him propose to his
girlfriend. He had written the words, "Will you marry
me?" in large white rocks on her mother's front yard. My
job was to fly them both around Memphis on a "scenic"
flight, and eventually work my way over to her mom's
house, where I was supposed to circle until she could
read the words-and hopefully give him the answer he
was waiting for. There was only one little problem. His
girlfriend struggled with motion sickness. But, because
I love a grand romantic gesture as much as the next
person, I agreed to do it, provided she took preventive
medicine and had an airsickness bag just in case.
Standing in the FBO before the flight, my client confirmed several times that she had taken her medicine.
And so, off we went, my client and I trying our hardest to keep the goofy smiles off our faces. On about the
third circle over mom's house, his girlfriend was finally

The combination of low-altitude turbulence with
the almost constant bank angle was really making
it hard for him to reach his solo goals.

NATALIE BINGHAM
HOOVER is a
CFI, CFII, and
multiengine
instructor with
more than 3,000
hours of dual given.

24 | AOPA PILOT August 2020

able to make out what the words said. Her joyful "Yes!"
came through the intercom system loud and clear. They
asked me to make a few more circles over the house for
pictures. It may have been the tenth pass or so when the
girlfriend asked me to stop circling and take them back
to the airport. She looked concerned, but not for herself.
It was actually her new fiancé who had just used the airsickness bag and was looking a little worse for the wear.
Why do I tell that story about the proposal? Because
it's funny and it puts airsickness in its place. Yes, my client got sick in the airplane, but his girlfriend agreed to
marry him! Driving home from the airport, I bet the
symptoms of his motion sickness played second fiddle
to their happy plans for the future. Airsickness can be a
real bummer if you are unlucky enough to experience
it, and lots of us have at some point. (My tipping point is
about an hour into most aerobatic flights). But the voice
that says you are struggling with airsickness need not be
the loudest. There are a couple of brand-new student
pilots at our flight school getting airsick during their lessons, and I sincerely hope they don't give up. I've known
countless people who have gotten past it and gone on to

achieve their flying goals. Here's how they did it: One
client struggled with airsickness, particularly in the
traffic pattern. The combination of low-altitude turbulence with the almost constant bank angle was really
making it hard for him to reach his solo goals, because
lessons were constantly getting cut short when airsickness reared its ugly head. So, he moved his lesson time
to early morning for a while, when the air was nice and
smooth, and was able to solo shortly thereafter.
Another client was able to do most maneuvers just
fine, but the steep turns always got her. So, we adjusted
our lessons to do all other maneuvers first, then saved
the steep turns for last, returning to the airport right
after. I'm proud to say she is now flying for a regional
airline.
My own dear husband struggled for years with
motion sickness whenever we flew together. He would
take Dramamine before every flight, then have to take
a nap when we arrived at our destination because the
medicine made him so drowsy. Finally, when I started
getting him involved in the flying, asking him to hold
the controls periodically or keep an eye on the heading for me, he started doing better, and he no longer
requires medicine. Sometimes, focusing on a specific
task (other than reading-that makes it worse) can
keep the symptoms of airsickness at bay.
There are many other things you can also try if airsickness is troubling you. For one thing, staying cool
is important. So, wear loose clothing, and keep the air
vent pointed in your direction. Make sure you eat a
little something before you fly. An empty stomach or
an overly full one have both been known to contribute to airsickness. Some people have reported success
with natural remedies such as ginger tea or acupressure bracelets that use a pressure point in your wrist
to allay the sick feeling. Unfortunately, motion sickness medicine is not acceptable for pilots, as the side
effects are often drowsiness or lack of mental clarity.
Finally, realize that the symptoms usually progress in
order, starting with a general feeling of unease, then
cold sweats, excess salivation, and eventually nausea
and vomiting. So, if you start to notice the first stages,
fly straight and level for a moment if you're able, to give
your body a fighting chance.
There are so many things that can keep us out of the
air. Maybe this doesn't have to be one of them. AOPA
myaviation101.com

http://www.myaviation101.com

AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2020

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