FAA Ac91-61-Gforces
FAA Ac91-61-Gforces
FAA Ac91-61-Gforces
Department
of Tdnspoftation
Federal Aviation
Administration
Circulcir -
2/28/84
i
c. Four tat t ical reasons, military aircraft have evolved toward highly
maneuverable machines controlled by well-trained pilots who are well
equipped for high acceleration. Civilian aviation, for the most part, has
not developed along these lines. The inconveniences and hazards of
acceleration are of little importance to civilian pilots, except those who
engage in aerobatics.
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5. SYMPTOMS OF Gz EFFECTS
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(3) Loss of Consciousness. When the blood flow through the brain is
reduced to a certain level, the pilot will lose consciousness. He or she
may have jerking, convulsive movements; these have been seen in many
subjects of centrifuge studies and in some pilots during actual flight. The
pilot will slump in his or her seat. Possibly, the pilot will fall against
the controls, causing the aircraft to enter flight configurations from which
it cannot recover even if consciousness is regained. In centrifuge studies,
many pilots lost (and regained) consciousness without realizing they had
done so.
(1) Little is known about the effects of high -Gz on humans because
-Gz accelerations have caused considerable discomfort in those studied.
Acrobatic pilots have reported small hemorrhages in the eyes and skin.
Harold Krier, an accomplished acrobatic pilot, wrote that if he got a pain
in the top of his head while pulling -G's, he eased off on the controls to
reduce the G-loading.
(2) The blood vessels in the brain tolerate mild -Gz stresses well,
but the increased blood pressure in the chest and neck causes a slowing of
the heart in virtually all subjects. In a few individuals, there is such a
marked slowing of the heart that there are intervals of several seconds
between beats. In some people, the heart may beat irregularly after -Gz
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exposure. The slowing of the heart and irregularities of beats can add to
the stagnation of blood in the brain. Thus, it appears that the greatest
threat from -Gz is the loss of consciousness from the slowing of the heart,
irregularities of the heartbeats, and stagnation of blood in the head.
INCREASES:
HEART TO BRAIN
DISTANCE
cDECREASES:
HEART TO BRAIN
01 STANC:E
WEIGHT OF BLOOD HEART RAT‘E
COLUMNS INCREASES:
HEART RATE WEIGHT OF BLOOD
COLUMNS
DECREASES BLOOD CAUSES STAGNATION
FLOW THROUGH OF BLOOD IN
BRAIN HEAD
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AC 91-61
(little is known of tolerance t o -Gz > These data were collected from 1,000
Naval aviation pilots and aviat ion p Ie;sonnel and apply to rates of onset of
about +lG per second - a rate that well may be encountered in civil
aeroba t ic maneuver so
Average Standard
Symptom Threshold Deviation Range
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system requires some time to sense the need, the heart could be delayed in
responding to this demand and blood flow to the brain might suddenly
decrease, Because of the sudden transition, and possible delay in response
of the heart, a vertical 8 with an outside loop on top (-Gz) and an inside
loop on the bottom (+Gz) may be one of the most threatening of acrobatic
maneuvers (Figure 5). An inability of the cardiovascular system to react to
the rapid change from -Gz to +Gz was probably the basis for the loss of
consciousness reported in Case IV, Paragraph 6.d.
e. Obviously, some persons can withstand greater G’s than others. Even
experienced military pilots in a simulated aerial combat maneuver using
anti-G procedures (M-l, L-l maneuvers) could remain conscious only about 6
to 7 seconds. Everyone has a iimit. Seasoned aerobat ic piiots may
represent a selected group because persons with less physiological
resistance probably drop out of aerobatics before reaching the highest
levels of performance. The acrobatic pilot will realize the potential
hazards of G's and will seek to find the level of acceleration he or she can
safely endure.
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L
BETTER BLOOD FLOW
FASTER HEART
CONGESTION OF -5-2-
BLOOD IN HEAD
SLOW HEART
t- DELAY
I IN HEART RESPONSE
GRll/
POSSIBLE: BLACKOUT
LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
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h. Be careful of what, and how, you eat. Adequate exercise and diet
help to maintain your blood sugar at normal levels. A low level of blood
sugar can make you very sensitive to G-loading. Remember that after a high
carbohydrate meal (e.g., pancakes and syrup, or candy bars), the blood sugar
will fall in about an hour, sometimes quicker, so avoid such meals. Eat
well-balanced, light meals before. flying. A large meal could cause pooling
of the blood in the digestive tract and decrease G-tolerance by reducing the
amcunt of blood available to the general circulation.
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i. Be aware that if you are accustomed to flying in a coastal region
and then undertake the same aerobatics at a region of higher altitude, such
as Denver, Colorado, ycu will have a lowered tolerance to G's, The oxygen
content of the blood is lowered by exposure to the higher altitude, and the
oxygen supply to the brain mignt be reduced to critical levels during +Gz
loading.
-2s~~) cm&
D. C. Beaudette
Acting Director of Flight Operations
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