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jamesb Certificates/Ratings/Crew Stations: "Vertigo" 02-07-04, 04:01z  I've heard other aerobatic pilots talk of vertigo, but I'd never experienced it myself until until recently. I haven't done any hard aerobatics (it's too cold for Pitts where I am right now) for several months. Plus 2.5, minus 0.5 g is probably all I've seen in the last six weeks. A few weeks ago I got up from bed, and the room began to spin for a few seconds then everyhing was fine. I experimented a bit and found that if I tilt my head back and look left the spins begin and then typically subside within five seconds. If I maintain my head in this position I'm fine. As soon as I return my head to 'straight and level' the opposite spin occurs, and again subsides typically in about five seconds. If I attempt the same exercise but tilt back and right, there is no phenomenon. The condition persisted for about two weeks and subsided for several days. The spins returned after a few long duty days last week, and have persisted. I sit right seat for a living, and thus looking up, back, and left to perform various tasks is part of my job. I have not had any episodes on duty, but I am of course concerned. The only strange flight condition I've experienced in the last few weeks was a practice emergency descent from FL220 to 6000 in about three minutes. I can't say for sure, but it seems to me the episodes may have started shortly after that. The condition is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, and is better known as 'ear rocks'. It is essentially pieces of stray calcium floating around in the middle ear. The conventional treatment is 95% successful, and apparently for the balance there is a simple and effective surgical procedure as well. I am undergoing treatment now, and the symptoms are diminishing. My concerns are: will the resumption of aerobatics in the spring be likely to cause a recurrence? (I don't believe they were the cause) Should you fly aerobatics while the condition is active? Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

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Subject      Author      Message Date     ID      Vertigo    jamesb       02-07-04              RE: Vertigo    Ben_Chiu       02-07-04       1         RE: Vertigo    vgbaron       02-07-04       2         RE: Vertigo    Patty_Wagstaff       02-14-04       3         RE: MCGOWAN    eria9       04-19-06       4

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