Motion sickness in pilot trainees: management to keep them flying.

INTRODUCTION: Motion sickness is a recurrent problem in pilot schools. Many techniques to overcome motion sickness are used worldwide, mostly including sedative medication and psychotherapy. Motion sickness does not correlate with future pilot skills: it should not be a criterion for selection of candidates. The problem must be controlled from the onset in an objective way. In the Swiss Air Force selection program, time compression does not allow any delay between the selection flights, nor can drugs be used. METHODS: We created an after-flight motion sickness checklist. We present a descriptive statistic for motion sickness assessed with our checklist in 2 consecutive years of pilot selection and our recommendations for a management policy without drug use and without interference with the selection schedule. RESULTS: Due to the small number of observations, no statistically significant correlations could be verified. Nevertheless, we had no drop out from selection due to motion sickness. DISCUSSION: The use of the after-flight motion sickness checklist seems to be effective. Further studies with a greater number of observations are required.

Isolated dextrocardia in a commercial pilot candidate.

Positional anomalies of the heart are rare and are seldom found during routine physical examinations. We describe the case of a 25-yr-old Swiss airline pilot candidate whose aeromedical examination was normal except that an unusual ECG raised suspicion, leading to a diagnosis of dextrocardia with a normal arrangement of atria and abdominal viscera. This diagnosis in a pilot candidate should raise concern because a high percentage of such individuals have congenital heart defects. Further tests were conducted to rule out associated cardiac malformations, conduction anomalies, or rhythm disturbances. Testing also excluded other associated diseases such as primary ciliary dyskinesia and Kartagener's syndrome. Dextrocardia is not listed as a disqualifying condition in the applicable aeromedical regulations (Joint Aviation Authorities Medical Manual, Joint Aviation Requirements-Flight Crew Licensing guidelines). Therefore, after demonstrating that there were no physical, hemodynamic, or electrophysiological abnormalities, the candidate was allowed to enroll in civilian pilot training without restrictions.