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G-force, jerk, and a giant centrifuge

Tom Scott
6.53M subscribers
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15M views 6 years ago
Thanks to the Starrship team for arranging this! I'm also over on their channel, flying with the Blades:    • Tom Scott explains G-Force with The B...   • At the Royal Air Force training centrifuge in Farnborough, pilots learn how to avoid G-LOC: g-induced loss of consciousness. Let's talk about g-force, about jerk, and about how to keep circulation flowing to your brain. FAQs:
  • Isn't 3.6g a really low g-tolerance? *
Yep. Turns out I would not qualify to be a fighter pilot. The average range for g-tolerance is 4-6; no-one was expecting me to pass out. The centrifuge team do not deliberately try to G-LOC people! To be fair, though, I'd done a few earlier runs with only …...more
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G-force, jerk, and a giant centrifuge
251KLikes
15,490,633Views
2018Apr 16
Thanks to the Starrship team for arranging this! I'm also over on their channel, flying with the Blades:    • Tom Scott explains G-Force with The B...   • At the Royal Air Force training centrifuge in Farnborough, pilots learn how to avoid G-LOC: g-induced loss of consciousness. Let's talk about g-force, about jerk, and about how to keep circulation flowing to your brain. FAQs:
  • Isn't 3.6g a really low g-tolerance? *
Yep. Turns out I would not qualify to be a fighter pilot. The average range for g-tolerance is 4-6; no-one was expecting me to pass out. The centrifuge team do not deliberately try to G-LOC people! To be fair, though, I'd done a few earlier runs with only minor effects.
  • What g was the RAF person at the start pulling? *
That's Marcus, from the Starrship team, and he was successfully pulling 6.5g with the help of g-trousers: they plug into a compressed air source in the plane (and in the centrifuge) and act as a lower-body tourniquet to keep the blood up top. They are very effective.
  • Why did you shake and shudder when regaining consciousness? *
Those are called "myoclonic convulsions", which is a fancy medical term for "muscle jerks", and they're a common side effect of recovering from G-LOC.
  • What did it feel like? *
I'll answer this in more detail in a video over on the Matt and Tom channel soon, but in short: I don't remember it. I was doing the breathing maneuver, then everything was wobbly, then we were stopped!
  • Is this a sponsored video? *
No: the RAF and Starrship had no editorial control over this, and no money changed hands. Obviously, though, they gave me a spin in the centrifuge, and I'm collaborating with them over on their channel too! THANKS TO: The RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine, the Starrship team, and the folks at Qinetiq. STARRSHIP: Instagram:   / starrshiphope   Facebook:   / starrshiphope   Twitter:   / starrshiphope   🟥 MORE FROM TOM: https://www.tomscott.com/ (you can find contact details and social links there too) 📰 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER with good stuff from the rest of the internet: https://www.tomscott.com/newsletter/ ❓ LATERAL, free weekly podcast: https://lateralcast.com/    / lateralcast   ➕ TOM SCOTT PLUS:    / tomscottplus   👥 THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES:    / techdif  

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Tom Scott

6.53M subscribers