Affiliations: [a]
The Israeli Air Force Aeromedical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
| [b]
Department of Military Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| [c] Israeli Defense Forces Medical Corps, Tel-Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
| [d]
The Juliet Keidan Institute of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| [e]
The Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Idan Nakdimon, M.Sc, Head of Aviation Physiology Section, Israeli Air Force Aeromedical Center, Aharon Kazir 1, Ramat Gan, Israel. Tel.: +972547358475; Fax: +97237376784; E-mail: nadidim@gmail.com; ORCID 0000-0002-6190-3567.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Flight simulators have an essential role in aircrew training. Occasionally, symptoms of motion sickness, defined as simulator sickness, develop during training sessions. The reported incidence of simulator sickness ranged widely in different studies. OBJECTIVE:The aims of this study were to calculate the incidence of and to define a threshold value for simulator sickness among rotary-wing pilots using the validated Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). METHODS:CH-53 and UH-60 helicopter pilots, who trained in helicopter simulators in the Israeli Air Force, were asked to fulfill SSQ. A score of 20 in the SSQ was defined as the threshold for simulator sickness. Simulator sickness incidence and average SSQ were calculated. Correlations between age and simulator training hours to SSQ scores were analyzed. RESULTS:A total of 207 rotary-wing aircrew participated in the study. Simulator sickness was experienced by 51.7% of trainees. The average SSQ score was 32.7. A significant negative correlation was found between age and SSQ score. CONCLUSIONS:Simulator sickness was experienced by more than half of helicopter pilots. A score of 20 in the SSQ was found to be suitable as the threshold for this condition.
