Centrifuge

(FYI, you might want to pause the music playing at the bottom of the blog to hear this video)

I had to do my F-16 9 G qualification this week at Holloman AFB in New Mexico. Every Jet has a specific profile with the F-16 being the hardest of them all except for the F-22 (which is the same viper profile just sitting up straight). These profiles are designed to see if a pilot can handle the High G loads that the viper( f-16) is capable of pulling. The 9 G profile was no joke and is the most feared by pilots. The F-16 Has more deaths related to G induced loss of consciousness (GLOC) than any other airplane, my flight commander always says "It will hurt you!" And he was right. After the fuge I couldn't walk and couldn't turn my nugget (head) and I have bruises all down my thighs, broken blood vessels called Geasles all down my back and butt. I did not pass out, but I can see how pilots pass out. They teach us to strain by flexing the legs and abs and breath against a closed throat, and if I let up at all I started to lose all my vision which is the first step to passing out. As a pilot losing sight is unacceptable, and losing consciousness is certain death in the viper, so I learned some valuable lessons that day; The viper will hurt me, I have a lot of respect for pilots that pull 9 G's on a daily basis, I am way out of shape for dogfighting, and I don't ever want to have to do the fuge again. I am proud to say I am 9 G qualified!