Reference: TC 3-04.93 Aeromedical Training for Flight Personnel (2009) - heloip

Stress comes in many forms and requires and individual to adjust or adapt in some way.
They are broken down to : Psychosocial, Cognitive (Mental), Enviromental and Physiological (Self imposed stresses).

Psychosocial - Life stressors. Lifestyle, career and interaction with others.  

Work responsibilities can be a major source of stress for a crewmember.  Conflict at work, low morale and unit cohesion, boredom, fatigue, overtasking and poorly defined responsibilities are all potential debilitationg job stressors.
Crewmembers who lack confidence in their abilities or have problems communicationg and cooperationg with others experience considerable stress.
Poor coworker performance can impose stress on an aviator.

What's on your Horizon if you have this type of crewmembers and work enviroment?

Enviromental - Altitude, Speed, Hot, Cold, Aircraft design and Characteristics.  Instrument Flight Conditions.

Physiological (Self-Imposed) - These are stressors WE CAN CONTROL.   A good way to remember it is by using the acromym  D E A T H

Drugs - Even though drugs are designed to help us in day to day living, a good "rule of thumb" is, Do Not to take any drugs without a flight surgeons approval.

Your flight surgeon knows the effects and side effects of drugs which we sometimes don't look at.  Did you know that some drugs, if taken together, can negate the desired effects? (This is called, synergy or a synergistic effect)

Your local Standard Operating Procedures or a Policy Letter will tell you the over the counter medications that can be taken without seeing the flight surgeon.  These are the drugs and doses that have been cleared by the flight surgeon.

Exhaustion - When you are tired, you lack concentration because your body wants to rest or sleep.  The way to defeat this stress is to get a good nights sleep and avoid streneous exercise before flying.

I know, I know... You are in the Military and physical fitness is very important.  As a good aviator, we must manage maintaining our physical fitness and exhaustion at the same time.

Being in good physical conditioning will help preven exhaustion.  It also stimulates various body systems and has a positive effect on mental health.  It also prepares aircrew for field exercises and perhaps survival situations.

Your unit should have a "Fighter Management", "Crew Endurance" policy in effect to help manage your time to prevent exhaustion.  If not, AR 95-1 has a good example of one. Individual units will implement this policy.

In my opinion, there is no good reason to accept a flight when you are tired .... During Training.  Operational deployments are a different case all together.  Aircrews must analyze the risks of flying while exhausted during these times.

Alcohol - Individuals react differently to alcohol, depending on the amount, rate of absorption and the body's rate of metabolism.  

Alcohol is a depressant and slows down the decision making process and reaction time.
Alcohol reduces the ability of brain cells to use oxygen.  

Each ounce of alcohol increases your physiological altitude by 2,000 feet.
Each ounce of alcohol takes approximately 3 hours for the body to metabolize.

Coffee, cold showers and 100% oxygen does not help.
ONLY time dissipates alcohol's effects.

Hard set rules for aviators that induldge in alcohol consumption -

Army - 12 hours from last drink to aviation duties, with no residual effects.
Civilian - 8 hours

Just something to think about when you get to the 12 hour limit and you slam down 5 shots of tequila.... 5 X 3 hours... hmmmm, should you fly?

Tobacco - Use of tobacco is associated with lung cancer and heart disease.

Tobacco burning produces carbon monoxide.
Hemoglobin/Blood loves carbon monoxide by about 200 to 300 times more than oxygen.
Hemoglobin/Blood moves oxygen to various parts of our body.

Tobacco smokers add 5,000 feet to their physiological altitude.

Carbon monoxide decreases night vision.  
Crewmembers who do not smoke experiences a decrease in night vision at approximately 4,000 - 5,000 feet.
Crewmembers who smoke are already at 5,000 feet while at sea level, thus experiences a decrease of night vision while on the ground.

Hypoglycemia - is a condition of LOW BLOOD SUGAR in the body.  The liver stores energy in the form of glycogen, a blood sugar.  These blood sugars are used during everyday events and must be refueled at regular intervals.

A good diet and eating habit will prevent hypoglycemia.

Aviators must guard against obseity because fo detrimental effects of good health and performance.  Herbal or dietary supplements need to be discussed with and approved by a flight surgeon prior to use.