You Have Got To See What Happens When This Back Seat Passenger Gets G-LOC

What happened was that Steve passed out as the pilot was pulling big G's. Watch the blood drain from Steve's face and his head snap forward because he's gonzo. One question you might have is, why didn't it affect the pilot the same way? There are two possibilities, and one or the other or both might be true. First, he was probably wearing a G-suit, which helps keep blood from rushing down from the head and therefore helps the wearer maintain consciousness. The second is that, and this one is certainly true, he's a pro at doing high-G maneuvers and controlling the way the body reacts to it by staying in flying shape and doing centrifuge sessions. It's takes technique and training, and it works, or at least they tell me, though G-suits are de rigueur for flying jets that pull lots of G's.

The downside of G-LOC is that if the pilot is solo when it happens, the chance of perishing in an airplane that goes wildly out of control is great. And by the time the pilot regains consciousness, the plane might be going so fast, the recovery will induce a second round of G-LOC. Here, the session is controlled. The back seat passenger is apparently on a flight experience ride and the pilot knows exactly what he's doing. And his bedside manner is impeccable.

In any case, this is not only really compelling to see happen, but it's also a great reminder that high-Gs can knock you out in a couple of seconds. That's what happened to our back seat pax. And on that note, "Welcome back, Steve."