Plain English Meaning

Motion sickness is the queasy, sweaty, dizzy, sometimes vomiting reaction that happens when what your body feels and what your eyes see don't agree. In an airplane, bumpy air or unfamiliar maneuvers can set it off.

Full Definition

A condition caused by the brain receiving conflicting signals about the body's position and movement from the inner ear, eyes, and pressure-sensing nerves. In flight, this mismatch -- often triggered by turbulence or unusual aircraft attitudes -- produces symptoms such as nausea, sweating, paleness, dizziness, and vomiting, and can impair a pilot's ability to fly the aircraft safely.

Context Anchor

Seen in pilot health discussions, especially during early flight training, turbulence, , or any flight where a pilot or begins to nauseated or disoriented.