PSE

Pilot Sports Equipment

Mental and physical fitness are equally important for best pilot performance. AMST’s specialised pilot sports equipment helps pilots to maintain and improve their physical abilities.

Needs

Why is pilot sports training so important? To keep pilots fit for flight!

Beside excellent psychological conditions, it is a necessity for pilots, also to be extremely well and in an outstanding physiological condition
One part of the sports training is the focus to practise muscle straining, particularly the neck and back muscles, it is a supplementary training opportunity for physiological fitness
Another part of the training is coordination training and improvement towards the sensibility of disorientation.
Strength training improves the physical strength of pilots’ upper body and neck muscles in order to help sustain additional loads during high-G turns.
This is important, given that additional weight placed on the head, such as helmet, mask, NV goggles and other electronic/optical equipment. This additional weight is multiplied by the effect of +Gz and can lead to very high loads on the neck and spine of a pilot, under high +Gz conditions.
Especially helicopter pilots suffer from vibrations, caused by the rotation of the rotor blades, when they are not fully balanced.

Benefits

Properly trained and strengthened neck and back muscles help to protect against +Gz induced damage and injuries and avoid fatigue

Regularly sports training keep pilots fit
It avoids injuries
It prolongs the time against fatigue
Sports equipment for coordination training was a joint development with the German Air Force Flight Physiological Training Centre
It improves the coordination skills
It improves the reaction time
It desensitises pilots against disorientation
It has a complete new design with more safety features

Features

Sport and coordination training is required as consequence of movements that occur in highly agile aircraft, during manoeuvres such as missile avoidance, where quick turns under high-G can result in loss of body coordination.

ROTOR

Stimulation of the vestibular system by rotations with a speed of maximum 180°/s at different body and head positions. Aim of training is stimulation of vestibular system and achievement of selected adaptation reaction, development of coordination capabilities, development of self-confidence, readiness for action and volition.

Rollover Swing

The rollover swing performs body rollover with or without vertical body rotation with loads up to +6 Gz. Aim of training is development of strength and endurance, coordination capabilities, stabilisation of cardiovascular functions, development of vestibular stability and stabilisation of characteristics such as bravery, risk readiness, volition and self-control.

TRIPLEX

The Triplex allows rotations around all body axes to consolidate vestibular stability and to enhance coordination abilities. The exercises activate the torso and shoulder muscles. Continuous full body movements are required. Aim of training is development of vestibular stability, orientation, differentiation, balance features, strength endurance, especially of the torso/shoulder muscles.

Rhön Wheel

Training improves vestibular resistance and coordination capabilities and requires active behaviour of the trainee to control turns around the lateral and transverse axes. Aim of training is stimulation of vestibular system, achievement of selected adaptation reaction, development of coordination capabilities, in particular orientation, rhythm and adaptation capability.

CENTAUR

The future of treatment and prevention of back problems. The computer-supported test and training device CENTAUR allows for a thorough training of the spine stabilising musculature. Both the global and – only with CENTAUR possible – the local spine musculature can be activated and thus trained directly.

References

Fit for flight

Germany – FMI

Equipment for the German Air Force Flight Physiological Training Centre in Königsbrück, near Dresden.