“Dizzy Old Guys”
This is being written following conversations with several friends across the country. It seems many of us in
our...uh…” golden years”, have a problem with dizziness or balance issues when flying overhead maneuvers in
the stunt pattern. I know I do. I turn 74 in a few weeks, and I am one of the youngest in this group of flyers.
I worked in the medical field (psychiatry) for nearly fifty years. I have also competed in sports other than stunt,
(running, golf, auto sports). All this experience has taught me a few things. Here are some things I have found useful
in minimizing overhead issues so I can continue competing in stunt. (Winning, well that is something else!)
(1)Feet – The problem with overhead maneuvers starts with your feet. That is the only attachment you have to the ground when flying. If you
are on an unstable surface, such as soft grass, and your eyes are not focused where they can help orient you, you feel unsteady. Put a
handle in your hand and a moving plane, it’s worse, as the plane exerts a tug on you which can add to imbalance.
To combat the above, I fly in golf shoes, even on a paved circle center. Golf shoes are designed to keep you “anchored” while your body is in
motion. They are less “squishy” than walking/running many of us commonly wear. Real tennis shoes, not just generic “sneakers”, would
likely be the same, but my experience is with the golf shoes. Modern golf shoes use non-metal “spikes”, and can be worn on any surface.
Look for some inexpensive golf shoes. If they don’t help, well, most of us have spent more money on other stuff that didn’t work. Give them
a try.
(2)Again, with feet – Standing with feet somewhat staggered helps. That is, one foot slightly forward, the other slightly back, and spread some,
side to side. Standing this way provides some “bracing” against movement backwards, forwards, and side to side. Take a stance and get
“planted” before any maneuver, especially with large, heavy planes.
(3)Eyes – Flying overhead, your eyes lose the horizon. Your vision, when there is information available, will “override” your dizziness. People
who have full scale flying lessons “under the hood” for instrument flying know this. Take away that info, as in an overhead maneuver on a
cloudless, or gray overcast day, and it is easy to feel dizzy.
The partial solution here is to not follow the plane through overhead eights, or wingovers, with your eyes. Start the maneuver (overheads)
then keep your head/eyes steady at the intersection point. Let your peripheral vison tell you where the 45-degree points are, and trust your
experience to control the plane in back of your head to bring it back to the intersection. When done with the two eights, start the plane down,
quickly pivot, and move your eyes where you want to pull out. There is no need to watch the plane-it will get there on its own. With the
reverse wingover, get “planted”, start the maneuver, and fly vertical to almost overhead, then shift your eyes to the pullout point. Pullout, fly
1/2 lap inverted, and repeat. In track driving, the mantra is “the car will go where you are looking-the hands follow the eyes.” The same is
true for us. Look where you want it to go, not where it is.
(4)Rest of your body – In summer, dehydration will definitely make dizziness worse. Some blood pressure medicines can further aggravate
dehydration too. Keep hydrated with water or low-calorie sports drinks. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. As for alcohol, as we get older, our bodies
do not recover as fast from even mild alcohol use. That couple of drinks you had last night can have an effect on your flying today. Alcohol is
a central nervous system toxin. That toxic effect is experienced as pleasant, but it can affect you twenty-four hours later, when the “buzz” is
long gone. Be aware.
Various medical conditions and their medications can have an impact on your flying. Inner ear infections or disorders certainly can
contribute. There are some physical therapy techniques that can correct chronic inner ear problems. Consult your doctor about these issues.
(5)The last stand – Uh, sit down! Take a plastic chair or a stool into the circle and sit on it when flying overhead. Grabbing the chair in the
middle of a flight can be its’ own problem, but it can be done. Or even fly in a wheelchair. When I was young, we had a guy in our club who
flew the pattern from a wheelchair. His legs were withered and he could not walk. His Dad turned the wheelchair as needed. I have also seen
people fly in a wheelchair where they used the other hand to turn the wheelchair unassisted.
Tom Dixon
(770) 592-3279
12/20/2021
Topic: Dizzy Old Guys by Tom Dixon (Read 1061 times)