Soaring Past Motion Sickness when Flying

Whether you’re setting out on your very first discovery flight or are a veteran pilot with years of experience under your belt, motion sickness can put a damper on any flight. Air sickness, or motion sickness caused by flying, can lead to many symptoms including cold sweats, headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, increased breathing rate, and all around discomfort. While motion sickness symptoms affect up to 25% of pilots, there are several steps you can take to combat these uncomfortable feelings.

The best way to prevent any kind of motion sickness is to avoid the stimuli causing it. However, many people find that over time, continued, controlled exposure results in symptoms lessening as your body acclimates to the new environment and sensations. For new flight students this is especially true. As your body adjusts to flying your air sickness symptoms should decrease.

One of the first and most important steps to take if you experience air sickness is to remain as calm as possible. If you’re beginning to feel sick or uncomfortable, take a deep breath and try not to focus on your symptoms. Focusing on your symptoms will cause heightened anxiety which will only further aggravate your air sickness.

There are also many preemptive steps you can take to help lessen your likelihood of getting air sick. These include:

• Avoid eating heavy meals right before flying. Stick to something lighter several hours before takeoff.
• Try drinking ginger tea to help calm your stomach.
• Know the flight plan before takeoff so you are aware of any maneuvers you’ll be performing to lessen your stress and anxiety levels while flying.
• During flight, focus on the task at hand as much as possible.
• Open the vents to allow in plenty of fresh air.
• Be honest and open with your flight instructor! Communication is key and keeps your instructor aware of any symptoms that are causing you extra discomfort.

There are also several products that can be used to help with air sickness. Sea Bands are elastic bracelets with small discs that sit on pressure points on the wrist and have been shown to help decrease motion sickness symptoms. You can find them at most drug stores. There are also numerous over-the-counter medications to help with motion sickness symptoms. However, because these medications often have side effects that include drowsiness or vision impairment, many medications not approved by the FAA for use by pilots during flight. Click here for the full Pilots and Medication FAA rules.

For most people, time and experience are the keys to overcoming air sickness. The more accustomed you are to the sensations that come with flying the less discomfort you’ll experience. As a new student, be sure to be honest with your instructor. And if you’re an experienced pilot, remember that occasional bouts of motion sickness can happen to the best of us!