Air Racing
Pilots Explain How They Survive G-Force Flying
It’s not easy to master G-force flying — we asked these Red Bull Air Race pilots for their advice.
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3 min
Watch to see how to survive G-Force flying
It's not easy to survive G-Force flying-- just ask these Red Bull Air Race pilots.
G-Force (noun): a measurement of an object’s acceleration; it is the net effect of the acceleration that an object actually experiences and the acceleration that gravity is trying to impart to it.
Flying at g-force speeds is far from easy as they create incredible stress on the human body, and make the pilot exhausted. When a pilot hits g-force, the blood in their body rushes to the lower half of their body — leaving their brain without blood.
Therefore, they must be as fit as possible to withstand high g-s — their legs and abdominal muscles must be incredibly strong in order to prevent the blood from rushing down.
“When you see the pilot getting ready to enter into a high G turn, you see them take a deep breath, tense up their calves and thighs, and that keeps your blood up in your head, and constrains your veins to keep the blood up higher.”
“When you see the pilot getting ready to enter into a high-g turn, you see them take a deep breath, tense up their calves and thighs, and that keeps your blood up in your head, and constrains your veins to keep the blood up higher,” Red Bull Air Race pilot Michael Goulian explained.
Physical fitness is just one aspect of mastering g-force survival. The other major component is training. “For me, the best preparation for doing G, is doing G,” according to former Red Bull Air Race pilot Paul Bonhomme. “There’s no point for me to bench press 700kg every two minutes when actually what I need is good, general overall fitness of all my muscles. So the best way of doing that, to get ready for g-force is actually to go and fly, and train for g-force."
Kirby Chambliss, Red Bull Air Race Abu Dhabi 2016
© Jörg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
Nicloas Ivanoff, Red Bull Air Race Abu Dhabi 2016
© Naim Chidiac/Red Bull Content Pool
Lamb, Sonka, Muroya fly past Mt. Fuji
© Jörg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
With actual g-force flying training, pilots learn how to train their muscles so they are ready for the incredible acceleration. With time, their muscles learn exactly how to respond under this force.
Watch incredible g-force turns from the Red Bull Air Race in Chiba, Japan on FS1.
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