Rocky 'Apollo' Jedick | GO FLIGHT MEDICINE

Clearing Your Ears

Most aviators learn early in their career that flying with a simple upper respiratory infection or seasonal allergies can be painful. Gases in the sinuses and middle ear expand in accordance with Boyles Law as altitude increases and pressure decreases.[...]

‘Fitness for Flight’ – Mental Health & Antidepressants

The recent Germanwings tragedy has called commercial aviation’s concept of ‘Fitness for Flight’ into question. In case the reader has just returned from a week long hike in the wilderness and missed the news headlines – on 24 March 2014[...]

From the Cockpit to the Hospital – CRM for Docs

Have you ever been part of Code Blue (patient in full arrest) that went horribly wrong? Almost all docs have a horror story from either a real-world or (preferably) sim lab scenario where a resuscitation fell apart and ultimately led[...]

Does Bilberry Extract Improve Night Vision in Pilots?

BLUF: Bilberry is probably not effective in improving night vision visual acuity or contrast recognition. It recently was brought to my attention that some pilots have added bilberry to their diets and others have been willing to shell out cold hard cash[...]

The Golden Age

On a recent domestic flight with Delta Airlines departing the busy Chicago O’Hare International Airport, I had an unexpected, but enjoyable experience. Awaiting takeoff near the back of the Boeing 737’s coach seating, I heard an announcement from the front of the aircraft. I looked up to[...]

Gas Laws in Aerospace Physiology

There exist a huge number of Laws in Physics & Chemistry. However, there are only a few that are really important in aerospace medicine. Most of these are the basic Gas Laws. Let’s review some of the most important ones.[...]

Dr Story Musgrave – Physician, Pilot, Astronaut

I recall seeing an inspiring commercial from US Navy recruiters (see below) some years ago. After showing a series of action-packed video clips, the narrator asks the provocative question: “If someone wrote a book about your life, would anyone want to[...]

Ground Collision Avoidance Technology

On a recent flight in a Block 40 F-16 with our squadron’s weapons officer I was introduced to the new pilot-activated recovery system (PARS). Starting at about 20,000 feet (FL 200) we rolled inverted and started a rapid 30 degree[...]

Aviation Podcast “Slipstream Radio” Features GFM

In January 2014, F-22 Raptor driver and creator of TallyOne, Rob “Shotz” Burgon partnered with commercial aviator Brent Owens of iFlyBlog to create a unique podcast for aviation enthusiasts called Slipstream Radio. This past week, Slipstream Radio discusses topics relevant to aviation medicine and[...]

Fellowships in Wilderness Medicine

The niche medical specialty known as Wilderness Medicine is not officially a subset of Aerospace Medicine, but similarities abound. Both medical disciplines focus on normal healthy patients in abnormal environments. Both fields have to consider unique medical conditions that affect individuals only[...]