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To: IYAS9YAS
As a (non-current) sailplane pilot, who has also flown many other types of aircraft, I’ve never even gotten close to being motion sick while in flight. As a pilot, you’re usually too focused on all of the things you’re doing for it to affect you. Passengers are another story, though. I had several friends who I took up get pretty queasy just sitting there and watching the horizon spin round and round while circling in thermals. The only effect I ever had, momentarily, was when I was circling in a thermal with a number of other gliders both above and below me. The closest one above me was only a couple hundred feet or so above, so as I was circling in a relatively steep bank I was also glancing straight up from time to time to keep an eye on him. Turning steeply while looking straight up is a bad combination which I discovered when it made me a little dizzy/disoriented for a moment.

As for airline turbulence and screaming passengers, it always amuses me a little. If you really thought aviation was as dangerous as many of these people falsely believe, why would you ever get on airplane? Commercial aviation in the U.S. is incredibly safe. In fact, not only is it the safest form of transportation by far, it could be argued that it is actually one of the safest places, moving or stationary, that you can be, period. While you’re in that airline seat, you’re protected from many other ways that someone can die, from drowning, to car crashes, to falling off ladders, to being attacked by a violent thug (OK, maybe that one is becoming more common in flight, so bad example), etc.

23 posted on 03/05/2023 3:35:19 PM PST by noiseman (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.)
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To: noiseman

I’m not afraid of severe turbulence ( many years frequent flier here) however the jostling around throws the body’s heartbeat and breathing rhythm out of sync and the elevated heart rate and shallow breathing kicks my butt. Gotta force myself to breathe deeply to help alleviate getting internally thrown off kilter.
Good thing is the most severe turbulence episodes are usually not of long durations.


43 posted on 03/05/2023 5:42:39 PM PST by tflabo (Truth or tyranny )
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To: noiseman

Hopefully if one is a pilot one doesn’t have to deal with motion sickness. I’d think that would narrow the field for those wanting to be a pilot.


48 posted on 03/05/2023 6:45:27 PM PST by ealgeone
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