HOW to PROTECT YOUR HEALTH while FLYING.

[@ChristopherEllwood]

One thing I do to protect my health before flying is wearing a good pair of nitrile gloves while checking the fuel sumps. On a 172S, there are 13 fuel sumps and you will invariably get fuel on your hands during the pre-flight, especially if it's windy. Tetraethyllead (the lead additive in 100LL) passes right through the skin on contact, so getting it on your hands is definitely something you want to avoid, but surprisingly I rarely see pilots wearing gloves when they sump fuel.

[@NathanBallardSaferFlying]

That is such a great tip and observation, you are so right. I really appreciate this, thank you!

[@JustPlaneSilly]

Hydration is where I fall short. Every time I land, I am desperate for a bottle of water. I am working on being better at bringing bottles of water with me.

[@Tim_Cailloux]

I don’t love sunscreen. During our Georgia summers, I’ve started wearing SPF-rated long sleeve sun shirts. That gives me protection without layering sunscreen on my arms. I’ll still apply sunscreen to my face.

[@thebadgerpilot]

I remember in my private training, it was brought up as a point of discussion (more facetiously than seriously) that if you get a sunburn in flight, it could meet the requirements for an accident due to a serious injury, which includes in part: "second- or third-degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5 percent of the body surface" which could easily apply.

[@LukeKirk1113]

Lately I’ve been trying to double up on my ear protection, ANR and foam in ear underneath, then I just turn the volume on my headset up. Love it, just makes my own voice kinda quiet.

[@peetoikeller2355]

For newer pilots, it can’t be stressed enough how important good headsets are. For the training environment, having a middle to high quality headset not only protects pilots from hearing loss, but also makes it easier to hear ATC and the instructor (which, in both cases could be the difference between making a quick and safe correction to your actions and getting in trouble). I am around jets a lot, and need to get in the practice of using ear plugs when doing my pre-flight inspections. Thanks for the reminder!

[@NathanBallardSaferFlying]

Really appreciate your comment and real world feedback! Very much the jet scene is going well! We miss you around the hangars! 🙌🙏👍

[@Listen321]

Underrated topic in aviation. Thanks for sharing!

[@craigbryant9674]

Great information. Thanks Nathan!

[@keithhoward9238]

Hydration, small oxygen boost canister, ANC headset, Coconut based lotions that protect from sun skin damage, and O2 sensor is what I have to protect me.

[@jvtaylor3]

Something else to consider with hydration, is your body's ability to handle g-force decreases substantially if you are de-hydrated.

[@zachary3352]

Great video, Nathan! Sunscreen is a good tip. I have the other items covered, by I should take better care of my skin while flying.

[@joshmc]

This is a great topic that I have not seen covered anywhere else. Excellent information and advice, thank you.

[@AV8OR51]

Great stuff! Thank you for sharing

[@sharinaross1865]

Great info

[@NathanBallardSaferFlying]

Thanks for watching!

[@sb859]

Truth Bombs.

[@corneliusthecrowtamer1937]

dang, heart rate at 119 BPM...how much coffee did you drink?

[@NathanBallardSaferFlying]

Great observation. And TOO MUCH 😂

[@protomake1349]

Lol, yeah. I literally switched to decaf during my flight training, flying an airplane is exciting enough to wake me up. Keeping my nerves as calm as possible helped!