Anxiety and Airsickness....Help!!

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Hi everyone
I really need some help and advice here.
I am a PPL with about 110 hrs in a Skyhawk. I absolutely love flying and feel I am a safe and confident pilot.
During my training I never had any issues and completed my training 2 years ago. Since then I have had numerous (and scary) episodes when flying solo or with a non experienced passenger. I start to get cold sweats and numbness and tingling in my feet then to my arms and face. I sweat profusely and feel nauseated to the point that I am almost incapacitated. Yesterday it got so bad I thought I was going to pass out but luckily I had a passenger who could fly straight and level. After I was able to land the plane I could barely walk, was shaking badly and vomited on the ramp (Nice!!).
I was ready to buy my first plane but have changed my plans because this is very scary and takes the fun out of it for sure!!
Can anyone explain this? Is it motion sickness, anxiety or a combination of both?
I think maybe when it gets bumpy I get nervous that I will get sick and it starts this terrible cycle.
Advice appreciated...........
 
You either 1) need more experience to build up your confidence, or 2) you suffer from panic attacks and probably shouldn't be flying.

My advise is to get some more time flying, both with and without an instructor. Fly on wind days, fly on bumpy days. Limit passengers to smooth days. If this only happens when its bumpy, my guess is it's your nerves, not panic attacks, as they can come out of nowhere for no reason. Turbulence can be unsettling for new pilots. If you have an opportunity, go up in a n aerobatic plane with a G meter on a bumpy day and see how relatively benign bounces are to the airframe. Compared to what it's designed to handle. For added fun, take some aerobatic lessons.
 
Really sounds like an anxiety attack. Try flying with an instructor in rough conditions and see how you handle it. Cougar in the movie Top Gun was an example where something triggered the immense fear.

Unfortunately, if this fear is real and can't be overcome through building up your confidence, you may find flying impossible to continue.
 
Brad Z said:
You either 1) need more experience to build up your confidence, or 2) you suffer from panic attacks and probably shouldn't be flying.



My advise is to get some more time flying, both with and without an instructor. Fly on wind days, fly on bumpy days. Limit passengers to smooth days. If this only happens when its bumpy, my guess is it's your nerves, not panic attacks, as they can come out of nowhere for no reason. Turbulence can be unsettling for new pilots. If you have an opportunity, go up in a n aerobatic plane with a G meter on a bumpy day and see how relatively benign bounces are to the airframe. Compared to what it's designed to handle. For added fun, take some aerobatic lessons.
Click to expand...


Exactly!
 
Yeah I agree with Brad. I wouldn't fly solo or take passengers until you get over this. Strange that you're feeling this now after 110 hrs. Generally air sickness goes away with time.
 
Brad Z said:
You either 1) need more experience to build up your confidence, or 2) you suffer from panic attacks and probably shouldn't be flying.

My advise is to get some more time flying, both with and without an instructor. Fly on wind days, fly on bumpy days. Limit passengers to smooth days. If this only happens when its bumpy, my guess is it's your nerves, not panic attacks, as they can come out of nowhere for no reason. Turbulence can be unsettling for new pilots. If you have an opportunity, go up in a n aerobatic plane with a G meter on a bumpy day and see how relatively benign bounces are to the airframe. Compared to what it's designed to handle. For added fun, take some aerobatic lessons.
Click to expand...

Good advice Brad!
 
The flight out yesterday was perfect. Not a cloud or bump in the sky.
I really had a wonderful 1 hr. flight. On the way back it was scattered and the thermals started kicking me around. That's when it started. So I agree I should only fly with an instructor for a while on hot bumpy days. Hopefully I will get used to it.....
 
Looks like you are letting anxiety get the best of you, if you really enjoy flying ,go out with an instructor on a few bumpy days. Don't forget the sick sac. Good luck
 
If it's turbulence that sets the anxiety off, you need to spend more time with an instructor during afternoons when turbulence is bad. You develop a tolerance for it. It's only way to get over it. Good luck.
 
The instructor trick is the first thing you should do. I had a similar fear a long time ago but mine was a build up before I got in the plane. Symptoms the same. Once I was off the ground, it went away. To me it sounds like turbulence and passenger induced anxiety. The only fix there is is to fly more and build confidence. Take an instructor, like mentioned on bumpy days, maybe some unusual attitudes. I also wonder if a touch of hood work on the basics of climbs, descents and turns just to prove to yourself that you can handle it would do you some good. If it's the feeling of falling and lack of control you feel with the airplane, try a trust exercise. Let go! I used to do this with my students. When it would get bumpy, I could see actual white knuckles. So I would ask them to let go of the airplane completely (properly trimmed of course). No hands and no feet. The airplane will NOT grow a mind of it's own and fly inverted. It may jerk around but so what? it will eventually return to straight flight. This will also help you see whether you are over controlling the plane or not. Half the turbulence could be you. Plus, it's a cool "trick" to impress passengers. ;)

The air sickness is a symptom of mostly anxiety but could be motion sickness too. I have almost 3,000 hours and I still get queasy on occasion from turbulence if I'm in a hot Cessna. I learned ways to deal with it because I love to fly. Just stay way from anything greasy before flight and always keep crackers and cold water on hand. The airsickness should die down with an increase in confidence. We do have posts I've seen in the past for tips on helping airsickness related to hot bumpy days too. Good luck!
 
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When I get a cold sweat its motion sickness. If this does happen again, get some cool air on your face and sip on some water. Find some smooth air, get straight and level, recage your internal gyro and get back on the deck as quickly as is safe.
 
Reach over and pull that black knob out when it gets bumpy. Slow down. Take your time.

You're already going faster than most people on the planet. So treat time like it's all yours.

Slowing down will smooth out a lot of bumps.
 
I still get a little queezy at times. I'll not share my moments as everyone seems to have similar ones, and different triggers we don't need to learn.

Lots of good ideas here. I'm just posting in solidarity.... Hang in there.. Part of being a newbie...
 
I will second the suggestion of aerobatics lessons. Once you've seen what an aircraft is capable of doing, the turbulence and bumps that bother you will fade to insignificance.
 
I have just a few more hours than you, and I can somewhat relate. When I was new to turbulence, I would grip the yoke so hard I would get blisters on my hands and feel significant anxiety. I'm guessing that during your training you didn't experience that much. Hopefully working with an instructor on turbulent days, even seeking it out, will help. I forced myself to fly in turbulence (light to occasional moderate, I'm no masochist and am not flying for a living) and that helped me conquer the anxiety I always felt when it started. Going for a quick flight? Make it in the afternoon. Near mountains? Fly in the valley (when safe to do so) rather than cruising above.

I always keep in mind "have an out", something emphasized to me during a recent mountain flying course. If it was ok where you came from, head back there. Avoid planning an XC during times of day likely to be turbulent. "Better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than vice versa." In the Rockies we took off by 0730 and were on the ground enjoying a cold beverage by 1300, done for the day.

Finally, study the weather. It will help you predict more accurately when you're going to have a rough ride. Also, it will help you be able to formulate a plan to get out of it if possible because you will understand the various factors. I recommend buying a used version of Meteorology Today, and subscribing to the video series at AvWxWorkshops.com.

Good luck!
 
Well, you could be realizing your time is near on a subconscious level, and understand that your natural death in this timeline will be in an airplane. The fear of death is raising your anxiety levels. The thing is you may be able to avoid dying in an airplane by hanging up flying, and missing a rather quick and low suffering death, but the follow on modality may not be so pleasant. So I suggest you quit worrying about it and enjoy the life you have left.
 
When I fly my little single seat eab I have no problems at all. I go up for some training in a 172 and have the same problems you are having.

I contribute it to being a bigger airplane. When flying I see not only the dash or panel but out the windshield. I have this all in one view. In my little eab, when looking out the windshield I do not see the panel or dash. I must move my eyes to see the panel.

If this feeling comes over me, I lean forward and try to get the panel out of my view. I noticed this helps.

If this happens again try leaning forward some and get the panel out of your vision and see if that helps.

Tony
 
As already stated, it could be a number of things.
One thing that's immediately actionable is to go the aerobatics/unusual attitudes route, in a sense... Specifically, to spend quality time finding and exploring the edges of your plane's envelope, in flight regimes outside your norm - and in every conceivable configuration.

How far can you take it?

What happens when you go over the edge?

You may find that the middle (where we execute routine flights from A to B) has become a much more comfortable place.

Or, you may have something to cross of your list.
 
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