Wonder no more. A G induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) happens when the brain stops getting oxygen due to an inability of the cardiovascular system to pump blood against the force of several gravities.
Fighter planes pulling G’s can cause it, and our pilots are trained (and equipped) to try and avoid the blackout. Civilian riders don’t do as well at 7 G’s.
Enter our intrepid reporter from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, getting to ride backseat in a Blue Angels F-18. Good video of his blackouts, and he comes across as a fun guy.
via Aerospace Genius.
I’ve seen other video of this. It has some good medical parallels. He seemed as if he had a lot of fun, while he was conscious.
I liked the video player. My computer is slow, not just compared to the plane, but it had no problem playing those clips without any pauses.
One of the many awesome things about the Blue Angels is that they fly without the pressure suits. So they have to handle the Gs just by valsalva alone. They kick ass.
Is is really wise to have a tenderfoot like that chewing gum during those maneuvers? Seems like the gum could wind up in a place we wouldn’t want it to.
Otherwise, impressive video!
I agree with Jack…Wouldn’t aspiration be a big concern here? WTF?
MLP