Xazy

article
Just kind of interesting, and it will be good for morale for the women on the base too.

Glory's Sun

so what happens when the pilot accidentally grabs the wrong stick?

Gh0s7

Makes sense if you think about it. I think at least. If there is high pressure in the lungs, direct the flow to the opposite end of the body, thus relieving the
problem.

Hain

As described here to me, yeah this could make sense.

Still doesn't mean we can't turn the phrase "trouble in the cockpit."

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Fotzlid

I was reading up on Viagra and as far as I can tell ,the stuff works on increasing the blood flow to smooth muscle tissue which makes it more responsive. Smooth muscle is found in the lungs as well as veins/arteries.

Seaver

Got it backwards.

Close enough.

Fighter Pilots at high altitudes have multiple strains on their body. At high altitude of course oxygen is running low. The planes have compressors onboard which increase the air pressure (as well as warm it up) so that it is more similar to regular ground level. Occasionally these will go out (or get damaged) at which the pilot has two options. Dive to lower altitude (which is almost a guaranteed kill in combat), or suck it up (which again is almost a guaranteed kill in combat).

We all also know about G-Forces, where blood is forced to the legs and away from the head/heart. This is a biggie where Viagra kicks in. The drug relaxes muscles, as well as veins/etc. This is how you get a woody, not by your "muscle" contracting but by relaxing and filling with blood.

One would naturally assume the veins to get bigger, thus less blood pressure. This is why a lot of older guys pass out with it. Coupled with G-Suites, which tighten down on the legs and lower body to squeeze the blood up, this allows the upwards flow to be easier and thus the pilot stays conscious.

Ta da!

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Kaimi

Considering that Viagra started off as a failed blood pressure medication it hardly seems unheard of that another usage for it has been found. In fact it still has an off-label use for Raynaud's Phenomenon and pulmonary hypertension, it has even been prescribed for children and women in some cases.

SSJTWIZTA

It seems to me that a raging, mega-huge boner would be a little distracting if they ever got engaged.

All of that rubbing against the flight suit forearms knicking it all the time...

...yeah.

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Willravel

What will they give the woman pilots, glasses of wine?

SSJTWIZTA

Zing!

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The_Jazz

For the record, Viagra doesn't necessarily give men an erection. It allows them to get one easier, but if the circumstances don't call for it, it won't happen. If you pop a Viagra before going to a seminar on real estate tax law, you're not going to be sporting wood if you keep your mind on the topic at hand.

Not that the jokes are funny, just making sure we're all on the same page.

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stevie667

There have been tests over here for using viagra as a vasodilator on premature babies to prevent heart failure.

As The_Jazz said, viagra still relies on the chemical signals released during sexual arousal to work by preventing blood leaving the flight control stick.

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Psycho Dad

Were I able to fly one of those bad boys, I'd be sporting wood big time.

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levite

Oh, God.... The last thing Israeli men in general need is for someone to be slipping them Viagra. I think that goes triple for fighter pilots. That's kinda like giving powdered rhino horn to a lust-crazed rhino....

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Redlemon

I've been trying to create a blue-shift joke regarding the color of light at high speeds and Viagra-related vision problems, but I can't. Please pretend I just made a funny.

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The_Jazz

hahahahahahahahahahaha! I almost snorted pretend milk out of my nose at that one!

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Shaindra

Heh, knowing what flying one of those things does to testosterone levels...I'd like to be the girlfriend waiting on the ground....

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World's King

Good thing Halx isn't a pilot... They wouldn't be able to close the cockpit...

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thingstodo

I would think their hearts are working well enough not to use something like that. Most men with ED have cardiovascular issues. If they just wroked out and ate right they probably wouldn't need Viagra!

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Nimetic

Lots of the things that make sense are entirely incorrect.

But yeah, as best as I understood it, the pilots already get a controlled atmosphere from the mask (ie an air mix). So I'm not clear what the reason for V is. Maybe the pilots just needed an excuse to give the pharmacist.

thingstodo

Heh. Or the phar companies are looking at other ways to market their meds!

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doncalypso

Not a problem if they're flying F-16s because the control column is located on the right side of the cockpit in those jets. For a pilot flying F-15s or Mirages (actually the Kfir-C7), however, that's a different story.

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QuasiMojo

This is assuming a right-handed pilot...heh heh

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Atreides88

It doesn't matter which hand is more dominant. The controls are set up in such a way as to have the stick manipulated with the right hand and the throttle operated with the left. There are very few tactical aircraft that differ from this rule.

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serlindsipity

I see the danger in such a distraction. Cuz you know every pilot wants to start a story with "so i was jacking off mid-flight..."

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