Airsickness is a normal response of healthy individuals when exposed to a flight environment characterized by unfamiliar motion and orientation clues. Common signs and symptoms of airsickness include: vertigo, loss of appetite, increased salivation and swallowing, burping, stomach awareness, nausea, retching, vomiting, increased need for bowel movements, cold sweating, skin pallor, sensation of fullness of the head, difficulty concentrating, mental confusion, apathy, drowsiness, difficulty focusing, visual flashbacks, eye strain, blurred vision, increased yawning, headache, dizziness, postural instability, and increased fatigue. The symptoms are usually progressive. First, the desire for food is lost. Then, as saliva collects in the mouth, the person begins to perspire freely, the head aches, and the airsick person may eventually become nauseated and vomit. Severe airsickness may cause a pilot to become completely incapacitated.

illustration of an airsick pilot in a primary training aircraft--in the couds

Although airsickness is uncommon among experienced pilots, it does occur occasionally (especially among student pilots). Some people are more susceptible to airsickness than others. Fatigue, alcohol, drugs, medications, stress, illnesses, anxiety, fear, and insecurity are some factors that can increase individual susceptibility to motion sickness of any type. Women have been shown to be more susceptible to motion sickness than men of any age. In addition, reduced mental activity (low mental workload) during exposure to an unfamiliar motion has been implicated as a predisposing factor for airsickness. A pilot who concentrates on the mental tasks required to fly an aircraft will be less likely to become airsick because his/her attention is occupied. This explains why sometimes a student pilot who is at the controls of an aircraft does not get airsick, but the experienced instructor who is only monitoring the student unexpectedly becomes airsick. A pilot who has been the victim of airsickness knows how uncomfortable and impairing it can be. Most importantly, it jeopardizes the pilot’s flying proficiency and safety, particularly under conditions that require peak piloting skills and performance (equipment malfunctions, instrument flight conditions, bad weather, final approach, and landing). Pilots who are susceptible to airsickness should not take anti-motion sickness medications (prescription or over-the-counter). These medications can make one drowsy or affect brain functions in other ways. Research has shown that most anti-motion sickness medications cause a temporary deterioration of navigational skills or other tasks demanding keen judgment. An effective method to increase pilot resistance to airsickness consists of repetitive exposure to the flying conditions that initially resulted in airsickness. In other words, repeated exposure to the flight environment decreases an individual’s susceptibility to subsequent airsickness. If you become airsick while piloting an aircraft, open the air vents, loosen your clothing, use supplemental oxygen, keep your eyes on a point outside the aircraft, place your head against the seat’s headrest, and avoid unnecessary head movements. Then, cancel the flight, and land as soon as possible.