One of my older threads pasting .
LOC, pronounced 'Gee-Lock', is an abbreviated term meaning G-Induced Loss of Consciousness. Not many simulations have been able to model this phenomenon effectively. Most people refer to it as "blackout," including the simulation companies. Because of the incorrect use of terminology, many believe that when you pull high G's, the only symptom you get is the tunnel vision and eventual blackout / simulated loss of consciousness. There is nothing further from the truth.
What does a pilot have to worry about during a high G maneuver?
First off, there is the amount of concentration involved in preparation of and then the actual "grunting" done while in the maneuver. No game has been able to model this. As you sit in your comfy chair, you have none of these factors to deal with. Already you are at an advantage.
Second, there is shear physical pain involved in pulling high G’s. To me the pain during a high G maneuver is excruciating. Anyone that has ever experienced any type of pain knows that it is extremely difficult to think of anything else while in severe pain. Training can overcome some of this, but nowhere near all of it. Concentration is difficult to maintain while in pain. So again, as you sit in your comfy chair, sipping on a soda, you are at a serious advantage.
I have heard jokes from pilots about the new guys that come out of a training exercise with their necks twisted in pain. They tried to look around in a high G turn. Of course, there are ways to help overcome some of this, but the effort and gyrations you must go through makes it a difficult task. I also need to point out that there is a distinct difference between grey / blackout and G-LOC. The first time in F-86 I experienced a 5+ G pull out during the war I was lucky that day, I greyed felt like I was getting a headache and started to lose field of view (in that order) only a few seconds of pulling out at the bottom of a dive. This isn't G-LOC since I didn't actually go nighty-night but I lost control of the plane and went into a dive which actually helped save my *** that day.
To have a pilot state that they can "pull high G’s as long as they need to" is understating the importance of proper preparation and physical fitness. These comments completely discount and downplay the difficulty that fighter pilots must overcome every day. It just is not as easy as they were making it sound. If this were indeed the case, why would there be a need for G-suits or "speed jeans?" The other question is just exactly how long is "as long as I need to?" In a true life or death situation, the human body is capable of amazing feats, but rarely has anyone in a situation like this ever been hooked up to the proper equipment to get an accurate idea of just what really can be done.
Some may argue that it is a well-known fact that the Blue Angels do not wear G-suits. A short analysis will show that the Blue Angels pull sustained G’s in a controlled, gradual onset (gradual may be quick, or slow, but a build up, as opposed to a sudden jerk to 9 G's) environment. They also do not make many high G maneuvers without periods of rest. Ever wonder what Angels 5 and 6 are doing while 1, 2, 3, and 4 are showing off? Or vice versa? The shows are designed to allow the pilots to perform high G maneuvers without risk to the pilots or audience. Do not take this as an insult to the Blue Angels or their abilities. On the contrary, I regard them as some of the finest pilots in the world, even more so for their understanding and recognition of their own physical limitations. Their reasons for not wearing G-suits are based on precision control, not on physical reasons. They brace their arms on their legs to help maintain precise movements of the stick. The pumping up and down of the G-suit would cause their arm to move which in turn would cause movement in the stick. The Thunderbirds, on the other hand, do not have to worry about this since their sticks are on the side (F/A-18 vs. F-16).
Next, folks will quote the myth that the Russians do not wear G suits either. These guys are also known to drink hydraulic fluid when they are out of vodka. Does that mean it is right? But seriously, Russians DO have G-suits. Pretty darn good ones, too. While it is my understanding these are optional at the pilot’s discretion, most do wear them.
The G-LOC fatigue factor is such an important and integral part of combat flying that development of the Combined Advanced Technology Enhanced Design G-Ensemble (COMBAT EDGE) is in progress. While a normal G-suit provides passive protection to about 5.5+ G’s, anything beyond that requires active participation from the pilot. Even up to 5.5+ G's, pilots are using their "grunting," CTFB ("crap the football"), or L1/M1 (anti-G straining) maneuver. The COMBAT EDGE will enhance the pilot’s ability to tolerate sustained G's as well as assist in proper breathing rhythms for maximum tolerance.
There is also the "HOOK" maneuver that the Navy is researching. The word "HOOK" is used as a mnemonic aid to help the trainee accomplish the anti-G strain properly. Vocalizing "HOOK" causes voluntarily closing of the glottis (the vocal apparatus of the larynx, consisting of the true vocal cords and the opening between them), which is an important part of effective anti-G straining. U.S. Navy experience shows that this method is more effective than the "grunt" and L-1/M-1 techniques used before. If fighter pilots could already "pull high G’s as long as they need to," none of these improvements or this research would be necessary.
But on the serious side, pulling 9 G’s in a simulator with no need to control an aircraft or deal with combat issues is entirely different than pulling 9 G’s while trying to maintain control of an aircraft.
In addition, most modern centrifuge seating is adjustable. It has been proven in a centrifuge that an 80 degree recline can allow sustained G tolerance of up to 15 G’s. It would be a bit difficult to actually see out of an aircraft at this angle. The F-16's 30 degree recline or SU-25M's 35 degree recline is about as far as is practical at this point. These angles allow an increase in G tolerance of about 1 additional G.
I have never lost a dogfight to human or AI due to blackout limitations, but from my own mistakes. The fatigue factor comes in the more high G maneuvers you make in a row, the sooner G-LOC will set in. If you take a rest between maneuvers, body recovers its self .
