Page 20 - Oct24T

Fast-forward a few years, and I find myself sitting in the U.S. Navy Blue Angels’ home base in Pensacola, Florida, briefing with a crew chief before my ride in
the F/A-18 Super Hornet. This briefing included a heavy emphasis on how to combat the Gs I was about to encounter on my aerobatic ride over the Gulf of Mexico. You may be thinking, “Well, that is great, but luckily, you have a G-suit to do most of the work.” Wrong!
U.S. Navy aviators do wear G-suits. However, the Blue Angels and their riders do not. In short, G-suits help prevent the blood from pulling from your brain to your feet by detecting G-forces and automatically inflating with air pressure against your legs and abdomen. Now imagine flying in formation with six multimillion-dollar jets, precisely flying just inches away from each other. A sudden inflation of a G-suit could turn inches into millimeters...or worse. So, this elite group of pilots have decided to forego the G-suits in the interest of safety and have turned back to the old-fashioned way of doing things.
How to Combat G-Force
Without the help of a G-suit, you must learn to combat Gs “manually” through a series of muscle and breathing exercises. If you are in the privacy of your own home or not easily embarrassed by looking like a strange fool in public, go ahead and try it now! Hold your core tight while flexing your glutes, thighs, hamstrings, calves, and entire lower half of your body as hard as you can until your muscles are literally shaking. And as Blue Angels
Mindy getting ready for a flight in the Extra with airshow pilot Kevin Coleman
Mindy on an aerobatic flight with airshow pilot Kevin Coleman
18 • TWIN & TURBINE / October 2024