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 see a man with salt and peppered hair wearing a pristine pilot’s […]
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 Program was officially created in 1954, the legacy of medical […]
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. Ideal Gas Law PV = nRT […]
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 read it?” When I first learned about Dr Story Musgrave and […]
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 nose-low dive. The pilot pressed a button initiating the PARS. Immediately the […]
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 featured GoFlightMedicine during an interview with GFM creator, Rocky “Apollo” […]
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 in the most austere or extreme environments. Because wilderness medicine […]
Although horrific plane crashes continue to make the headlines and the media seems to agitate the public by suggesting otherwise, traveling by air remains the safest form of transportation. Period. According to data compiled by the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archive, there were 265 fatalities during air travel in 2013 […]
Guest post by fighter pilot and editor of Tally One Rob Burgon When was the last time you remember hearing about a U.S. fighter aircraft being lost in air-to-air combat? How about the last time one of our fighters was shot down in combat? I bet you’d really have to dig for […]
In the United States, Flight Surgeon is the title used by the military (and NASA) to designate a medical doctor who has completed specialized training in aerospace medicine and has been awarded an aeronautical rating. This contrasts with the term Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) used by the Federal Aviation Association (FAA). AME’s lack the flying requirement that flight […]
Flattening the Curve Revisited FAA Medical Certification during COVID19 Pandemic (Another) ER Doctor’s Ramblings on Coronavirus 
Did you know we've got four dads in space? Happy Father's Day to @AstroBehnken, @AstroDoug, @Astro_SEAL and Anatoly Ivanishin!
4Happy Humpday ya’ll! #LIFT https://twitter.com/engineers_feed/status/1250296463256481793
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