G (Gravity) Forces/Strain

[Guest PilotCPB]

How does the AF adapt students to high G flight?

[Ram]

There's plenty of AGSM training, visits to the centrifuge, and plenty of discussion about G awareness.

I suppose that you get extra special treatment in UPT if you demonstrate a lack of tolerance to the Gs.

Most dudes don't have a problem with it, though.

[Guest silvereagle]

Sorry about posting continuously, but I have a question to the fighter pilots. How does it feel pulling 3~9 Gs? I mean, those rollercoaster rides are enough for me (probably about 3 Gs), I don't know if I can pass the G test LOL.

[ 03. July 2005, 09:01: Message edited by: silvereagle ]

[Toro]

Pulling 9Gs feels like pulling 3Gs...just three times worse.

Check out this thread for a pretty decent discussion on the matter.

[Rocker]

One thing that that thread doesn't really mention specifically (and I'm no fighter pilot), is that your body will develop a tolerance to Gs. So just because you're not crazy about 3 Gs right now, when you start flying every day and pulling 5-6 Gs regularly (in a T-6 for example), it'll become a nonissue fast. Still important to stay well hydrated however and do your AGSM. I can't say how it gets up in the 8-9 G range, but I imagine it's still a matter of tolerance and AGSM.

[Guest KoolKat]

Every UPT student is exposed to a good amount of G's in their primary training aircraft. I loved pulling G's...Granted the Tweet could only give 6, but it gives them pretty quickly if you ask her.

Some people find it as enough of a reason to "change their mind" from going pointy-nosed, as you were asking in the last post, but I don't think this is very common.

I would agree with Rocker to say it's a non-issue. When your flying trail with your formation buddy, you'll go right up to the 6 and load it up with a awesomely over done onset rate if that's what you need to stay in position and not even be bothered by the G's 'cause you just having too much damn fun!

Nothing to worry about dude. Especially if you end up in the -44 later on! -1.0 to 3.0 with no acrobatics! More like a roller coaster...Maybe a C-130 is your dream plane?!?! :D

For Toro or others, Would you even cosider the G aspect of flying a fighter jet comparable to a roller coaster? I can imagine within the realm of "mild" load, duration and onset rates it would/could be, but I've never heard of an amusement ride that can duplicate 8-9 with a rough onsets...not mention you just sit there on an amusement ride (as opposed to actually having a job to do at the same time.)

I was just curious your take on this, 'cause I hear that all the time, the old roller coaster experience giving people an idea of what it would be like.

[ 03. July 2005, 15:29: Message edited by: KoolKat ]

[EvilEagle]

I wouldn't say that roller coasters are a good representative of G's in a fight. Like everyone else has said, you'll know when you get to UPT if you like it or not. You do build up G tolerance which helps a lot. It's not the 9g's that bother you really (usually not sustained unless you are at 5k' and about 450 in a C model or a clean Viper), it's the long sustained g's that most fighters can do -- 7.5 for about 60 seconds. That's the part that get's you when you are already tired, etc.

[Guest guardhopefull]

I’m glad to hear you build up some tolerance. I had my $ ride in the T-6 and I felt like a wimp at 4.5 - 5G's. Of course I did none of the anti-G strain correctly. I thought I was sitting in the seat wrong or something. Not a happy camper although it was still a blast to start out!

Anyways guess Ill get to try it again and hope it gets better.

[ 04. July 2005, 10:53: Message edited by: guard/reserve hopefull ]

[Guest Rainman A-10]

Originally posted by guard/reserve hopefull:

not to get personal but I found my butt very sore after all the maneuvers. I thought I was sitting in the seat wrong or something. Not a happy camper although it was still a blast to start out!

Excuse me? What "maneuvers" did the IP make you do?

Sounds like the dollar ride as changed...

[Guest Rainman A-10]

Some of the pencil necks get a little tired after about the 10th bomb/strafe/rocket pass at night with goggles strapped on their craniums.

[Guest SuperStallionIP]

Squeal like a pig boy!!! Give up that dollar now!!!

[Guest KoolKat]

Don't ever squeal like a pig or.... ever:

No athletic butt slap for you!

[Toro]

Originally posted by EvilEagle:

it's the long sustained g's that most fighters can do -- 7.5 for about 60 seconds

Not so much of a problem for the Strike Eagle. We can pull 7.5 for about 6-9 seconds, then we're done.

[EvilEagle]

I hear you Toro, but if you guys are low altitude with those 229's in a a/a config jet, you can probably do pretty well...

[Toro]

True...true. We've had guys over-G on LASDT rides on more than one occasion.

[Wing Sweep]

I'm curious to hear from those who experience high G's on a daily/weekly basis. My question is, does it feel like high G's are pushing you into the back of the seat, more of a downward force or a combo of both. I figure at high G's one can really appreciate which direction the G's are pulling/pushing you. Thanks.

[BFM this]

It feels like a giant piece of duct tape is pulling your face down toward your stomach. Then your peripheral vision starts to close in and--OH, uh, hmph, my G-strain, ggrrrunt, there we go, that's better!

Huh? Did you say something? What was the question?

[Guest rumblefish_2]

You will get used to pulling G's if you do it on a regular basis. After a while your AGSM will become second nature and you shouldn't have to think about it. However, there are certain situations where it can get you if you aren't ready. Turn circle entries, break turns, etc. You do have to train yourself to be ready for those times. Contrary to popular belief, even the Viper won't do 9 Gs for very long unless you seriously try to do it. Even in the big mouth block 30 w/ GE engines. If you are doing more than 7 Gs for more than a few seconds then you are probably doing something wrong...like trying to rate at mach snot. Your IP will be laughing at you while he is going much slower and stiff-arming you the whole time. Not that that ever happened to me...

[ViperStud]

I may not be rumplefishie's IP but I am his daddy so I can say he is pretty much right. Physically it won't be a big deal, only one dude I know of had G probs and he's flying Hercs now...I don't think they sustain 9 like the Viper. Like Rocker said you get used to it and it becomes a non-issue fast, as long as you are smart and know when you've had a long G-layoff or are having a bad day. Lots of dudes worry about G's but statistically there are other things to worry about more, you have a better chance of screwing something else up than worrying about G's...chances are you'll be fine. I hope you are wrong though about sustaining them man. Hopefully those rumors about the block 50 accelerating level at 9 g's are true, I'll let you know...

[Wing Sweep]

I guess my question is, does it push one's body down so it feels like one's body is compressing into one's own a$$ or does it feel like it's pushing you into the backrest part of your seat so that you and your seatback become one?

[Guest spar91]

Originally posted by gabe2surf:

I guess my question is, does it push one's body down so it feels like one's body is compressing into one's own a$$ or does it feel like it's pushing you into the backrest part of your seat so that you and your seatback become one?

doesn't it matter on how the plane (and thusly you in your seat) is oriented?

if you're going straight up, as in 90* nose high or something with max power, then i bet you'd feel like your back and seatback are one...

if you're pulling out of the bottom of a loop, and for some reason you're pulling a lot of g's, then you probably feel like your body's compressing into your a$$.

but i'm not a fighter pilot, so that's just my guess...

[Guest cbire880]

If you are talking about "pulling G's", then you'll experience primarily a downward force into the seat like a magnified gravity. Its from the inertial reaction to the aircraft turning in 3D. If you are accelerating in level flight(like takeoff, cat launch, etc...) then you'll feel a push back into the seat, but you won't get as high a load as you can with pulling into a turn. Check out a college physics book if you want details on how the different forces are applied in a turn.

Of course I'm not a fighter pilot either, but I am an engineer.

[ViperStud]

That's right, it's mostly all directed down (positive g's), causing the blood to pool in the legs and abdomen/ass sts, hence the use of the g-suit on those parts of the body. G's directed back (like on t/o or during acceleration) have little effect on the body. They're called transverse g's and the human body can handle a lot of them. That's why the viper's seat has a 30 degree gangsta lean, to direct a component of that positive g toward your back, cuz it's easier to take.

Even heading straight up, you're only going to feel about 1 g max against your back. Why? Unless your thrust/weight is over 1 (no load we actually carry in real life gives you that) you will be decelerating going straight up. That means less than 1 g against your seat back. If you want to make sure you are as prepared as possible work out your legs and abdomen a lot, because those are the places blood likes to pool. You strain those areas during your agsm so having them strong allows you to do a better agsm without getting tired. Or you could take up McDonald's and smoking/drinking cuz short fat guys with high blood pressure have the best resting g tolerance. Ain't life a biznatch?

[stingray]

I was flying a decathlon today (a lot like a citabria) for my tailwheel endorsement. It's pretty akro capable and we were doing some steep turns with 90 degrees bank and we were pulling 3 gs according to the accelerometer.

It was really weird but I felt like it was kind of hard to think, kind of like getting up after you've been laying down for a really long time. I used to have it happen to me really bad when i stood up but ever since i've started lifting weights it's gotten way better.

Anyway, I tried the g-straining maneuver which as far as I understand is just kind of flexing your abs and it helped a little but what do you guys do, and can i get better? I go to the gym 3x a week and work on lifting weights, running, squats and crunches, is there anything else I should be doing?

Gannon

P.S. The tailwheel stuff is some of the most fun flying I've done, too bad they seem to be getting more and more unpopular.

Edited July 18, 2008 by gannon

[PlanePhlyer]

Keep hitting the weights, and drink alot of fluids. Preferably Jeremiah Weed the night before, followed by a couple of aspirin and a gatorade in the a.m. It works for me