ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana - Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2022 October;181(10):751-7

DOI: 10.23736/S0393-3660.22.04747-7

Copyright © 2022 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Pilot trainees’ + 8.5 gz tolerance and fitness in their senior cadet period: a pilot study

Seunghwan SHIN ✉

Department of Aero Fitness, Republic of Korea Air Force Academy, Cheongju, South Korea

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the potential association between the + 8.5 gravity-induced acceleration (gz) tolerance in F-15 pilot trainees and their fitness during the senior cadet period to infer cadets’ appropriate fitness level for +8.5 gz qualification and fitness education.
METHODS: The subjects were the 2018 graduates of the Korea Air Force Academy (N = 108, mean age: 22.5 ± 0.65 years), who were categorized as passed, failed and non-qualified based on the +8.5 gz test. Their fitness records (3 km run, crunches, and push-ups for 2 min) from the senior cadet period were analyzed. Body composition measurements were used to know the subjects’ physical specificity.
RESULTS: Fifteen of the 108 subjects qualified to take the +8.5 gz test (15 s) for F-15. They were faster in the 3 km run (P<0.05) and could perform more push-ups than their 93 classmates who did not qualify for the test. Six out of the 15 subjects passed the test. Fitness records from the senior cadet period showed a direction relation with the test results with highest performance seen in passed cadets, moderate in the failed cadets and lowest performance in the unqualified cadets for the + 8.5 gz test .
CONCLUSIONS: The cadet’s fitness level inferred from this study was 11min 34sec in 3km run, 95 crunches and 91 push-ups that inferred appropriate with passing of the + 8.5 gz test. These findings would be useful in cadet fitness education related to high gz tolerance.

KEY WORDS: Physical fitness; Pilots; Military personnel