unexpected IFR training startup

[Houman]

Ok, at the risk of being ridiculed, I would like to use the current collective experience here for a very unexpected situation :

 

Contexte : I started yesterday my 1st IFR training flight, I have about 200h of flight time and in that, about 10h of instrument, 5h of which was done in my PPL on a C172 in 2013 and the other 5h early 2014 for my night rating in a Beech Sundowner, both planes were much slower than the Rocket and I had not done any IFR flight training on my Mooney as of yet.

 

I have done a bit more than half of my ground school training for my IFR rating and started yesterday my IFR flight training. The training is given by a friend of mine who is a CFI, he is pretty young but has several other students, he is a great pilot and very knowledgeable. It was intended as just a familiarisation to holding patterns using the hockey stick holding pattern ( not sure they use the same in the states ), and after 10 or 15 minutes of pattern work that consisted of going straight for a minute, then turning V1 to a target heading and then starting again, I had to call it quits, because I felt nauseated and was very close to throwing up in my spanking new aircraft interior that was redone last week.

 

I have not felt that sick and near throwing up while flying in a plane since my early days of PPL when my instructor was showing me spins and spiral recovery, so was very surprised to feel that way just because of several V1 turns.

 

So wondering why I was getting sick, is it the number of V1 turns and always looking at my instruments and not outside that much ( not wearing a hood, but still too concentrated on keeping altitude, V1 turn rate and target heading ), was it because it was the end of the day and I was pretty tired or lack of proper ground training, or mal nutrition ?

 

Any suggestions or recommendations for next time, have you guys had similar experiences ???

[PMcClure]

I had some similar experiences in initial IFR training and I am not very prone to motion sickness at all. But loosing your horizon and watching your dials spin around and feeling the seat of your pants not matching up with what you think you are doing can be very disorienting. I suggest you give it more time, take it gradual. Once my mind was able to really match up the instruments and sensations I have not had the sensation since. 

[mike_elliott]

Practice needle ball and airspeed skills at the top of the white arc with your instructor. Practice developing a proper scanning technique. Your vertigo tendancy and motion sickness should soon pass.

[Shadrach]

I won't claim to be an authority on IFR as I've yet to take my check ride (was ready back in the winter of 08, but didn't...it's a sad story) but I plan on making the time to wrap up again this fall.  Personally, I dislike being under the hood for more than about an hour.  I probably have 50hrs of hood time and I find that after about 1.5 hrs I need a break or it starts to take a toll.  I've a lot more actual than hood time and I find it much more comfortable (save for the one time that I got a brief but severe case of the "leans").  I prefer foggles to the hood, but I find all view limiting devises much less comfortable than actual.  My last two flight reviews have been almost completely under the hood save for the first and last 500ft of the ride.  It's great practice, but I would not call it fun.  

[slowflyin]

Same experience...hang in there it will pass.

[yvesg]

Try doing your training when it is not bumpy. Yesterday must have been bumpy in Montreal with all that sun. Very early or late shall be better.

Yves

[Hank]

Bumpy days are bad, slowing some makes the ride better and aircraft control easier. I did an IPC on a really bumpy day, slowing 20 mph made a huge improvement.

Good luck!

[Piloto]

Your experience is perfectly normal like others said. My first similar experience was at the helm of a sailboat on the high seas. After a couple days you get used to it eating hot dogs.

José

[Houman]

yeah it was actually bumpy yesterday afternoon, that probably contributed to my motion sickness...

[AndyFromCB]

You'll get used to it. My first ever Mooney flight made me sicker than a dog even though I flew my Arrow in about 1/2 hour earlier to demo the aircraft. Different sitting position (Mrs says flying the mooney is like sitting it a bathtub) did me in. Took me a few flights to get used to it.

[flyboy0681]

Two years ago when I was doing my training I got very queasy to the point where I told my CFI we needed to call it a day (after being in the air for only 15 minutes). This happened during unusual attitude training and I'm the type that never gets sick. It happened to a lesser extent on another flight but I was able to continue on, although we immediately stopped the unusual attitudes for the day.

[Oldguy]

It is interesting you say you did not have a hood on. It might be although you were focusing on the panel, your periphal vision was catching movement outside of the plane, and the conflict between the two was causing the nausea and discomfort.

 

I use Foggles as the sensation I get from a hood gives me a headache and nausea. Thought I would never be able to fly IFR until I used a pair of Foggles.

 

And all of the recommendations about speed, time of day and smoothness are right on target. While your IFR rating is said to be one of the hardest to get, you're still getting to fly in an airplane so do what you can to make the learning experience enjoyable.

 

Keep after it. It's something many of us have experienced, and it does get better with time.

 

John

[midlifeflyer]

I'll add my vote to the "you get used to it; it goes away" group.

 

The bumps aside (and not playing a doctor even on TV), I think that one of the things that happens is, with no visual cues, you are getting different and sometimes conflicting information from your senses. In actual, it can be worse since you get visual cues of movement from your peripheral vision.

 

If you have done unusual attitudes where the instructor has you put yourself into the unusual attitude ("close your eyes. now fly straight and level. now make a 30° bank turn to the right") you know how wrong your body can be and how disorienting the lack of visual cues can be. Add to that the limited familiarity of getting new cues from a bunch of stupid instruments that sometimes conflict with what your body is telling you and you can understand why disorientation is normal. In your case, it is leading to nausea. For others it might be dizziness or something else.

 

The good news is just as you intellectually learn and get used to relying on the instruments and disregarding bodily cues, your body learns to deal with it. 

 

Hang in there.

[FloridaMan]

What kind of training device are you using? When I was going for my rating, Foggles and Jepp shades were fine, but the visor style hood would make me a bit nauseous at times.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Deb]

In addition to the above suggestions, being physically comfortable will help. So make sure you're not too hot; that will definitely add to your discomfort. A sip of cold water can help with symptoms. Try not to make sudden abrupt movements with your head under the hood, particularly during turns. As others have said, this too shall pass.

[FlyDave]

I don't have an idea why you would start feeling ill without a view limiting device on. But, for when you do start flying with one, try different units out before buying one. Borrow them from other pilots for a flight and try them on the ground before flying with them. If they start to make you dizzy on the ground it will probably be worse in the air.

I had tried a few different ones and some made me really dizzy on the ground. I put the kaibash on those right away. I ended up using a Jiffy Hood.

[N201MKTurbo]

Sure it will go away, but just think about a passenger on an IFR flight. They have never had an opertunity to get used to it.

[DonMuncy]

I have been nauseated many times in training. Heat, bumps and view limiting devices contribute. However, it eventually gets better.

Interestingly enough, I have never been sick when I was the sole person in charge. Always with an instructor on board.

Have you thought about trying the wrist band mild shocking devices. I have one, but have never been in a situation where I could test its effectiveness.

[dcrogers11]

+1 on the wrist bands.  My wife also uses Bomine.  On another note, Sean D. Tucker was afraid to fly but that obvious passed.  So should your nausea. Best of luck.

Don

[carusoam]

What are the other things to do or avoid?

Eat lightly, long before the flight...

I always found looking forward with the vent blowing on my face seemed to work.

Rotation of the head and getting hot, trips the illness switch.

There is no recovery after it starts.

Know what works for you and stick to it.

I have been able to avoid illness while flying using these ideas.

Warm cockpits doing unusual attitudes has its limitations. I can only do a couple.

I enjoy the unusual attitude stuff, no fear.

confusing the inner ear is bad...

Knowing all these ideas, I still was challenged doing roller coasters at Universal in Orlando.

Best regards,

-a-

[DonMuncy]

Oh yes; carry sick sacks.

[Htwjr]

I have an electronic wristband and it seems to work pretty good. I also tried the Puma method which is a series of exercises to get you used to different motions by slowly increasing the intensity and duration of head movements. You can search for the Puma Method.

[midlifeflyer]

Sure it will go away, but just think about a passenger on an IFR flight. They have never had an opertunity to get used to it.

 

I think the issue is different for a passenger. For us, we are trying to make sense of everything and getting conflicting information that can be worsened by the bumps. For a passenger, they are just taking it as it comes and don;t particularly care if it feels like we're turning to the right while some dial or picture in front of the pilot says something different.

 

Of course, if the passenger is prone to motion sickness, there's a problem, but I think it's a different dynamic than what is happening to us.

 

BTW, my worst disorientation (other than a hot day with lots of bumps) was in IMC. It was the first time I flew in actual from the right seat. Looking to the left at an angle to scan the instruments, the cloud variations streaming by the left side window made me feel we were in a constant right turn.