A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight
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Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight
#2Good 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.
Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight
#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.
Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight
#4>> 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 many cases actually faster. Nobody talks about those pilots having to think quickly. The time to make decisions is a function of how close you are to the ground, not how fast you are moving.
Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight
#5"In 1974, the future Dr. Rupert was skydiving naked while he was a student at the University of Illinois. He noticed that the rush of air on so much bare skin kept him oriented, even as he spun and twirled in midair."
Where do you sign up for naked skydiving?
Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight
#6Good 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.
The market for people who need a non-visual device to help them detect obstacles, threats, or supply caches is too small to justify the expense (both per-unit and of development) of such devices.
Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight
#7"In 1974, the future Dr. Rupert was skydiving naked while he was a student at the University of Illinois. He noticed that the rush of air on so much bare skin kept him oriented, even as he spun and twirled in midair." Where do you sign up for naked skydiving?
At basically any local skydiving club.
Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight
#8This 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?
Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight
#9Good 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.
> You could vibratory signal a path in complete darkness, indicate obstacles and threats or directions to supply caches etc.
What sensors would this vest use to figure out where you are and where the obstacles and threats around you are?
Re: A naked skydive inspired a way to keep pilots oriented in flight
#10(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.