title: Stress responses of pilots flying high-performance aircraft during aerial combat maneuvers.
abstract: In aerial combat maneuvers (ACMs), at Luke AFB, Az, eight pilots flew their two F-15 aircraft against nine pilots in three F-106 aircraft. A total of nine flights, consisting of 23 ACMs, were accomplished in 5 successive days. The degrees of fatigue, stress, and sympathetic activity were quantified using both subjective analyses and the biochemical constituents in the urine of the pilots of the F-15 or F-106. Biochemical indicators, reported per 100 mg creatinine, included: epinephrine, norepinephrine, 17-OHCS, urea, inorganic phosphate, sodium, potassium, and sodium/potassium ratio. The F-106 pilots exerted more relative effort than did the F-15 pilots--effort which appeared to be associated with high-G experience. Both groups of pilots were equally fatigued following ACMs; however, only the fatigue of the F-106 pilots was directly correlated with the length of the ACM. Sympathetic and stress responses during the ACM--similar for both groups of pilots--showed postflight increases of 54% in epinephrine, 19% in norepinephrine, and 20% in 17-OHCS over preflight values, thus suggesting a moderate stress response. Resting levels of these same indicators, for days the pilots did not fly and for pre-ACM values, were similar but higher than control values previously reported for other stressful activities. By late afternoon, postflight values for these indicators had returned to near-preflight levels.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D000401:Aircraft; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000652:urine; D005221:Fatigue / Q000503:physiopathology; D006112:Gravitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000652:urine; D005082:Physical Exertion; D012890:Sleep; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine