Best seat for nausea?

[201er]

For motion sensitive passengers, what’s better the front or back? Besides visual differences, is there a difference in how motion/turbulence feel in the back vs front?

[DCarlton]

5 minutes ago, 201er said:

For motion sensitive passengers, what’s better the front or back? Besides visual differences, is there a difference in how motion/turbulence feel in the back vs front?

Oh gee... my vote would be that the front is much better.  Keep your eyes on the horizon.  Maybe even let the passenger put their hands on the controls and their feet on the pedals.  And wherever there's good ventilation.  I'm no expert though. Just instincts.  Will be interesting to see what others say.  

[PT20J]

I vote for front for two reasons: 1) It's closer to the CG so less sideways motion, and 2) in my experience people do better when the can look out ahead.

[201er]

2 minutes ago, PT20J said:

I vote for front for two reasons: 1) It's closer to the CG so less sideways motion, and 2) in my experience people do better when the can look out ahead.

I thought the back is closer to CG, sitting on the spar and all?

[PT20J]

3 minutes ago, 201er said:

I thought the back is closer to CG, sitting on the spar and all?

Well, let's check it.

From my M20J POH, the front seats are at station 34.0 (forward position) to station 39.0 (aft position), call it 37. The rear seats are at station 70.7. My CG with 4, 170 lb people and fuel to tabs is at station 48.1. So, the CG is 11.1" aft of the front seats and 22.7" forward of the rear seats. 

Skip

[carusoam]

1) If awake… front seat, looking forwards, with fresh air from the eyeball vent at their control….. with the advice of how to avoid moving their head…

2) If asleep… back seat where unconsciousness is best achieved…

3) Any seat… above 3k’ agl….  Where on most days, turbulence is done….

4) Bumpy days… front or back seat, the vertical bumps seem to be the same….

The hard part… descending below 3k’ until on the ground…

5) try…. Keep the first person from blowing chow…. Because if this isn’t controlled, there will be others….

6) Make blowing chow a fun game….  Ziplock bags are a must!

7) Game 1: ID what you had for breakfast….

 

PP thoughts only, father of two great children….

Best regards,

-a-

[Mooney in Oz]

8 hours ago, DCarlton said:

Maybe even let the passenger put their hands on the controls and their feet on the pedals. 

I think that this is actually a good suggestion that might work or somehow keep them occupied by concentration.

I’ve known airline pilots while seated in the cabin when required to reposition (aka deadheading) to feel nauseas during flight due to turbulent conditions, however I’ve never known any to feel nauseas from turbulence when seated in the flight deck during flight.

[Hank]

To maximize nauseau (based on my pax experiences), put them in the back seat after lunch on a bumpy afternoon in the mountains, tasked with taking closeup photos of ground structures through a large zoom lens . . . .

Anything else will be better, unless your excellent advice to fly another day is ignored.

Closer to the CG is better; a calm, smooth-air day away from rising or falling terrain is best.

[EricJ]

The thread title did make me think the goal was to maximize the nausea. 

[A64Pilot]

Front seat is best, and let them fly even if the autopilot is on and they have no idea what they are doing, it will take their mind off of it, if they have a task, they are much less likely to get sick. On my boat whoever had the weakest stomach was the helmsman.

Want real proof which seat is better? Go for a ride in a friends Bonanza in the backseat, even the conventional tailed Bo’s will make a pax sick from tail wagging and it’s much worse in back, that’s the one single reason I don’t want one, I rode in the back of an A36 on a hot bumpy day once

[TNIndy]

Front is better because of visibility assuming the person isn't trying to read. If they are then the back is better because there's less motion for the eyes to detect. 

[jaylw314]

Has anyone compared the back seat between the short and long-bodies?  I imagine the rear seats are farther from the CG in the long-bodies (although the higher weight might make up for that).

FWIW, my wife complains of nausea more from turbulence than from maneuvering.  She can take circling for whale-watching for a long while, but the bumps from turbulence tend to upset her stomach quickly.  That's why I tend to reduce MP/RPM during descents instead of bombing in at top speed, although I do that when I'm on my own  

[AerostarDriver]

5 hours ago, Mooney in Oz said:

I think that this is actually a good suggestion that might work or somehow keep them occupied by concentration.

I’ve known airline pilots while seated in the cabin when required to reposition (aka deadheading) to feel nauseas during flight due to turbulent conditions, however I’ve never known any to feel nauseas from turbulence when seated in the flight deck during flight.

This is me in a nutshell, if I am not upfront, I am in a world of hurt. 

[Pinecone]

I recently rode in the back of a C-182 (CAP training).  I was a bit concerned, as it was maybe the 3rd time I had ridden in the back of a light plane.  I survived.

[Guest]

19 hours ago, 201er said:

For motion sensitive passengers, what’s better the front or back? Besides visual differences, is there a difference in how motion/turbulence feel in the back vs front?

Is it the riding in a Mooney or your flying?  Never had anyone sick in my Piper!

[Bolter]

I used to keep an old stopwatch/timer around as a distraction device.  I would hand it to someone that may get sick, and give them the essential timing responsibilities.  When I call out "time" give me the count.  Hard to say if it worked, as you cannot prove a negative.  I have only had 2 sick pax, and both were unexpected.  A third was my wife when she was pregnant, and it was really bumpy descending into an airport on a warm day.  That was not a total surprise

[PT20J]

8 hours ago, jaylw314 said:

Has anyone compared the back seat between the short and long-bodies?  I imagine the rear seats are farther from the CG in the long-bodies (although the higher weight might make up for that).

The M20R rear seats are only 2.3 inches aft of the rear seats in the M20J. Most of the extra length is in the baggage compartment which is about 5 cu. ft. larger.

[Yetti]

Not a 172,  My wife who is prone to motion sickness would always be quesye in a 172.   Suck on ginger candy to help it.    Never once experienced motion sickness in the Mooney.  I think it is fat wing thin wing kind of thing.

[Mcstealth]

I have motion sickness. Back seat of "Any" form of transportation, and I will eventually get sick. I do know of other motion sickness folks that only feel it on the water, or only in the air. I'm not that lucky, Land, sea, or air I feel it. Dramamine does help me. 

[LANCECASPER]

10 hours ago, Mcstealth said:

I have motion sickness. Back seat of "Any" form of transportation, and I will eventually get sick. I do know of other motion sickness folks that only feel it on the water, or only in the air. I'm not that lucky, Land, sea, or air I feel it. Dramamine does help me. 

I can relate. I was the kid who got car sick in trips in the back seat of a car or whenever I'd be on a boat. My biggest fear when I took my 1st lesson was whether I would get sick in a small airplane (my first lesson was my first time in a small airplane). So far I've never been sick in an airplane, but I haven't spent much time in the back seat.

[0TreeLemur]

I say tape 'em to the wing on the pilot's side close to the fuselage, feet first, so as to present less drag and give the effluent a path into the slipstream.