Rocky Jedick is a Captain and flight surgeon in the USAF. He begins EM residency this summer. Dr Jedick hosts the aerospace medicine website, Go Flight Medicine and can be reached through the ‘Contact Us’ section of his site or…
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…
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…
Aerospace and Operational Physiology (AOP) has the unique challenge of bridging physiologic sciences with the operational environment. Many people think “they just work with pilots and do altitude chamber training.” While we do frequently work with pilots and other aircrew,…
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…
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…
I have been thoroughly blessed to serve as an active member of the USAF Pilot Physician Program (PPP) officially since 2008 but unofficially since 2002, when I entered pilot training as a “former flight surgeon”. Although the USAF Pilot Physician…
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.…
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…
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…
