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A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight

military.com

11–20 of 205 posts

Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight

#12

>> It can take pilots up to 30 seconds to reorient themselves, a long time while behind the stick of a jet aircraft. Their is an old chopper pilot saying: the faster the aircraft the slower the pilot. You think 30 seconds is a long time in a fighter jet at 30,000 feet? Try 30 seconds when trying to land helicopter on the deck of a pitching ship. A 747 flies at basically the same speed as a fighter (~mach 0.8), in man…

Yes, but fighter jets often fly closer to the ground and change direction more often (than airliners).

Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight

#14
post #8

This makes me wonder. I get car-sick when I'm a passenger in a car. Sometimes it takes an hour. Sometimes 10 minutes. However, if I'm riding in a convertible with the top down... I haven't gotten car-sick yet. Is the wind "fixing" the problem with my brain?

Motion sickness is body's way to protect itself against eating hallucinogens by mistake. Large mismatch between what your inner ear is feeling about your motion, and what your eyes perceive as your motion, imply possible hallucinogens, so your body is trying to make you throw them up. Humans haven't evolved riding in vehicles. Interior of car is not moving much relative to you, but your inner ear feels movement.

Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight

#16
post #8

This makes me wonder. I get car-sick when I'm a passenger in a car. Sometimes it takes an hour. Sometimes 10 minutes. However, if I'm riding in a convertible with the top down... I haven't gotten car-sick yet. Is the wind "fixing" the problem with my brain?

For me it helps to have as much of a view of the outside as possible. Feeling the wind helps also. If I'm in the back seat looking mostly at the interior of the car, my inner ear senses motion but my eyes tell me I'm stationary. I think those conflicting inputs are the cause of most motion sickness.

Much less of an issue for me when I'm in front looking out the front window.

Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight

#17
post #3

(Spoiler) Disappointed that they didn't end up with naked pilots. But it reminded me how Polynesian navigators in the Pacific would use their testicles to detect subtle ocean swells. We're used to relying on our eyes but our other senses can be just as useful.

A similar striking phenomena happened when I shaved my head instead of haircuts.

I was immediately very aware of every slight motion of air even in what seemed like still rooms, or generated by my motion, not even walking. It was like I had a new sensor upgrade. Almost more interesting is that it did not fade or degrade over the months that I kept that (non-)hairstyle.

The tactile sense can be a very high-bandwidth information feed.

Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight

#18
post #3

(Spoiler) Disappointed that they didn't end up with naked pilots. But it reminded me how Polynesian navigators in the Pacific would use their testicles to detect subtle ocean swells. We're used to relying on our eyes but our other senses can be just as useful.

I just can say thank you for this priceless piece of human knowledge

Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight

#19
post #2

Good article. I can't help but wonder why way-finding / path-finding vibrational orienteering vests aren't a thing yet. You could vibratory signal a path in complete darkness, indicate obstacles and threats or directions to supply caches etc.

I remember reading about an experiment where they gave somebody a belt which would vibrate at the north side and the subjects became very spatially aware would never get lost. Even when they were taken at night, blindfolded and driven around for like half an hour they could point to the way home without really thinking about it.

ah seems to be a product now: https://point-iot.eu/success-story/navibelt/

Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight

#20
post #13

> The estimated damages caused by spatial disorientation cost the U.S. military an estimated $300 million every year, along with the lives of around 30 pilots. Can that be right? 30 pilots a year sounds really high.

I read this as 30 pilots over all time, $300 million a year.
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