AIRHAWK Cushions for Pilots

As a Pilot you’re sure to have experienced the back ache heavily associated with flying. Helicopters seem to be notorious, and if you ask any Helicopter Pilot if they’ve ever experienced a numb bum or back ache during flight, the response is sure to be a resounding “Oh! Yeah!” quite often followed by, “But not just during – after… for hours!”

According to the research published by the Defense Technical Information Center on discomfort experienced by Pilots of the CH113 Labrador Helicopter backache “is usually a dull pain in the lumbar area, most often experienced during flight and usually lasting after the mission ends.” Researchers also discovered that these Pilot’s pain was much the same as Pilots flying any other Helicopter (both defense and civilian). Based on the symptoms and causes identified by investigators, the need for improved seating incorporating an inflatable lumbar support and a more “effective load bearing seat cushion” are needed.

Basically the problem is that the average Pilot’s seat fails to provide the appropriate pressure distribution where you make contact with the seat. This results in cutting off blood supply to the buttocks and legs, and leading to numbness and circulatory problems. But the challenges don’t end there…

Helicopters and all other motorised aircraft that take to the air have several ‘body stressing’ characteristics. One in particular that leads to fatigue and long-term ill effects on the body is vibration. The constant vibration of the aircraft fights against your body’s natural instinct to find stability. Indeed, everytime you sit in the cockpit, you receive a workout that affects your muscles and skeletal system.

So not only are buttocks and legs experiencing pressure on set points, the current Pilot seating allows the vibration to travel beyond the numb parts of the body and up through the spine. So now your spine is what is working overtime to support that natural instinct for stability.

AIRHAWK’S unique pressure distribution system has found the answer to the need for effective load bearing. It absorbs the shock that would normally travel up your spine, and alleviates the pressure that creates numbness in legs and buttocks.

The adjustable air inflation of the multiple cells within the AIRHAWK Cushion provide a custom fit to your personal contour for every flight. And the cushion is easy to transport. You simply take it with you, quickly and easily securing it to your Pilot or CoPilot Seat for each flight. The open mesh side panels allows air to circulate through the individual air cells creating extra ventilation and reducing heat build-up.

For more information on AIRHAWK Cushions for Pilots please visit the Aviation Seating System Page.

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