Uploaded April 2018 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Tom was invited to have a go in a Royal Air Force centrifuge, and found out his G-Force tolerance wasn't what he had hoped!
MATT: youtube.com/MattGrayYes | TOM: youtube.com/tomscottgo
Watch the main video on Tom's channel!
G-Force, Jerk, and Passing Out In A Centrifuge: youtube.com/watch?v=DMKcO-T5Y4o
And the Starrship team talk about how to avoid G-LOC: youtube.com/watch?v=tql0glKUVIM
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 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 for making this happen.
STARRSHIP:
Instagram: instagram.com/starrshiphope
Facebook: facebook.com/starrshiphope
Twitter: twitter.com/starrshiphope
Tom was invited to have a go in a Royal Air Force centrifuge, and found out his G-Force tolerance wasn't what he had hoped!
MATT: youtube.com/MattGrayYes | TOM: youtube.com/tomscottgo
Watch the main video on Tom's channel!
G-Force, Jerk, and Passing Out In A Centrifuge: youtube.com/watch?v=DMKcO-T5Y4o
And the Starrship team talk about how to avoid G-LOC: youtube.com/watch?v=tql0glKUVIM
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 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 for making this happen.
STARRSHIP:
Instagram: instagram.com/starrshiphope
Facebook: facebook.com/starrshiphope
Twitter: twitter.com/starrshiphope
