In my squadron of 30 people: one pilot is unable to fly while his neck heals, another has been told by the flight doctor that he has the spine of someone in their mid-fifties (he's 39), and another is only able to fly low-G sorties. With our helmets on, over 135 pounds of force is applied to the neck at 9G's. The long term effects of high-G's can result in neck and back issues-most pilots deal with some level of general pain due to G's. It's similar to a bruise and usually dissipates within a few days. Hatch)Īfter high-G flights, my arms and legs will have what appears to be chickenpox-blood has pooled in my extremities and caused the blood vessels to rupture. The current G-suit is shown on the left, with the older version on the right. Instead of struggling for a breath, with what feels like an elephant on our chest, we can take a small sip of air and rely on the pressure-breathing to fill our lungs. To increase endurance, we have pressure-breathing, which forces air into our lungs during high-G's. As we enter a turn, the bladders inflate, squeezing our legs and preventing blood from rushing towards our feet. We wear G-suits, which are pants with air-bladders in them. Over the years, technology has allowed us to pull more G's for longer amounts of time. In fact, it's so important that we're legally required to go into crew rest 12 hours before a flight, with an uninterrupted 8 hours to sleep. Poor sleep decreases alertness and G-awareness, which is what signals a pilot to start their G-strain. Sleep is also a contribution factor to G-tolerance. As with any athletic endeavor, it's important we eat nutritious foods and avoid high sugar "junk food." Studies have shown that with only three percent dehydration, G-tolerance time can be reduced by up to 50%. Hydration and nutrition also play an important part in the amount of G's a pilot can handle.
During my time in the F-16, I gave a dozen, or so, people backseat rides-after the flight, due to exhaustion, every one of them had to be helped out of their seat. Because our flights average one to two hours, cardiovascular fitness is important as well. We spend a lot of time in the gym, working out our lower bodies, so we can push the blood against the force of gravity during high-G maneuvers. The AGSM requires a high amount of physical conditioning.
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