Have you ever wondered what it’s like to experience G-force? Kirby shares thoughts on his very first experience, as well as what it’s like now!
“The first time I really experienced any significant g force was flying with our chief pilot in a Citation. He pulled the airplane up, probably producing a max of 2 g’s, and I just remember thinking, ‘this is something else!’ I felt like everything in my face was being pulled down and all I could do was hope the airplane didn’t break!As I started flying aerobatics, I had to build up a tolerance through anti-g strain maneuvers. When experiencing positive g’s, you tighten your stomach and abdominal muscles – it’s a straining motion. With negative g’s, it’s the opposite. Rather than straining, you really have to relax. A lot of people find negative g’s extremely uncomfortable, because it feels like everything in your body is trying to fit into your head. But like anything, with whatever you do, you get used to it.
Now I don’t even think about how to react to g’s, I just do it. It’s like breathing! That being said, there is a tolerance level. If I go more than about a week without pulling 8-10 g’s, positive and negative, it’s like starting all over.”
