We get the option to take industrial-strength anti-motion-sickness
medication (scopalamine, which also is an effective truth serum, I'm
told) which disconnects the inner-ear motion sensors. This is quite
effective during the flight, but leads to interesting effects while it is
wearing off. My experiment requires a rather high degree of operator
control, so I've always taken the drugs. Sometimes I have to do tasks in
the high-g part of the parabola. Moving around in low-g feels almost
natural to me, but walking around when I suddenly weigh over 400 lbs is
very tough, and any head motion sends me spinning! The really lucky ones
have experiments that require almost no intervention and are free to do
summersaults in low-g and lie quietly during high-g!
I think that I would take the drugs anytime, as long as it did not
mean feeling less than sharp.
I did a training session in the centrifuge at Holloman AFB, NM in
1990. It was intended to provide me with the required techniques for
G tolerance while I was flying little F16Cs at MacDill AFB in
Florida, but it took place just before I finished the tour.
They warn you not to turn your head down towards the instrument panel
at the side, but only because the centrifuge turns. Turning your
head introduces movement in another plane in your semi-circular
canals in your ear (in addition to the turning you are receiving from
the revolution of the centrifuge) and gives you a dreadful tumbling
sensation from which you are very likely to be sick! It can also
happen if you spend a long time flying on instruments during
training...
I took a video home to show my family; it was of Dad under varying
levels of G, from 6 to 9 trying to stay awake. If you fell asleep
(G-induced loss of consciousness - GLOC), you had to do it again. I
didn't thankfully.
Chris
--
~~~~~ ><>
Chris Barker
mailto:chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
mailto:chris_barker@xxxxxxxxx
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