Vestibular Apparatus Training in Czech Air Force Analysis and Opportunities

Initial flight training is a new type of space movement for a future pilot. The pilot adapts to the new movement during the first flights, but this process may be accompanied by phenomena such as fatigue, performance degradation, or nausea. In the Czech Air Force environment, future pilots are prepared at the University of Defence, where they undergo flight training during their second year. Prior to this, they use a range of equipment for physical training on which it is possible to derive angular and linear accelerations similar to those experienced by a pilot in flight. The aim of this paper is to analyze and compare selected devices available at the University of Defence, Brno, based on a questionnaire survey on the manifestations of Motion Sickness. The Motion Sickness Assessment Questionnaire (MSAQ) was used for this investigation. 11 students performed three exercises in the first part: gymnastics obstacle course, human gyroscope, and 360° swing. The students self-assessed their manifestations in the form of the MSAQ. In the second part, the instructors assessed the manifestations of motion sickness during flight training in relation to the pilot’s performance decline. Questionnaire data were analyzed using Friedman’s test, and post-hoc multicompare analysis was performed in case of differences between exercises. The results showed that the significant differences between the three types of exercises lie mainly in their influence on factors such as sweating, feeling dizzy, fatigue, feeling of rotation, restlessness, blurred vision, and feeling weak. No significant differences were found in the other 11 items. Each of the tested exercises had its specifics; when appropriately combined, they have the potential to prepare future pilots also due to their availability before the start of flight training.