On the Afterburner Club calls and in the forum, it’s only natural that the most often asked questions are about how to get into the service and get to fly the aircraft of your choice. These are important questions of course and I am always happy to answer them.
However, I also do get a lot of questions on the nuts and bolts of actually BEING a fighter pilot once you get there. And a really good question came through the grapevine on our call last week:
On long cross-country or even cross-continental trips, how does a fighter pilot go to the bathroom?
There are actually two methods. The first is that there is a relief tube inside the cockpit with a cone at the end that you can pee into and is literally dumped out the back of the plane. (I have actually seen this stream coming out the back of airplanes on flights. Quite a sight, I’m here to tell you.)
These tubes do not for many obvious reasons, exists in pressurized jets.
The other method consists of small bags called “piddle packs”, which are basically plastic bags that have white absorbent material inside them (just like the ones used in diapers) that sucks the urine up. Then you simply fold the bag up and dispose of it after you land. You can figure out the rest.
Bottom line… it’s not a procedure to execute while in the middle of a dogfight.
Pretty simple explanation to a not-often asked question about life as a fighter pilot. Nevertheless, it seems to be a sort of taboo question and I chose to talk about it both here and on the Afterburner Club call last week to show that truly no question is off limits.
I’ve said this before and it’s worth saying again; The Afterburner Club is a safe home where you can ask me ANY question you wish about becoming and being a fighter pilot.
When you’re talking about being at 50,000 feet in an enclosed cockpit where you’re doing an important job for your country, you can’t take anything for granted. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about bodily functions, your emotional (or even spiritual) well-being, or even how members of your family feel about what you are doing.
Any other nitty-gritty details are you curious about on life as a fighter pilot? This is fun. 🙂
Randy Shine says
That joke where the maitenece guys flip the direction of the air in the hose sounds like a good one.
Anonymous says
I was wondering why I felt a rain drop the other day when there were no clouds in the sky, lol.
Not sure if I’m crossing the line with details, but how difficult is this to do with the flight suit and gear on and the canopy inches from your head? I would have thought that some kind of hose would already be “attached” under the flight suit.
Anonymous says
*Gets ready to dump* Now where was that guy that said Id never make it as a fighter pilot live?
Gary Mize says
The relief tube on the A7-D was below the center of the instrument panel in a hole kind of like the sprayer hose on a kitchen sink (even though the A7 was pressurized). Basically forward of between your knees. The flight suite main zipper can, of course, zip down from the top when you put it on/take it off. The main zipper can also unzip from the bottom up (two-way zipper) at your crotch area. Just unzip it from the bottom, pull out the relief tube (witch has a small funnel attached to the end) from its receptacle and relieve yourself. Also, before a very long trip, trans-oceanic etc., be careful what you each. Nothing that will give you the “runs”. Eat sparingly and foods that are very compatible with YOUR digestive system and high in protein so it kinda “stops you up” or firms you up like steak or cheese products. No Cheerios or Raisin Bran or Burritos, or Bean Soup or things could get very squishy before you arrive.
Mike Hymel says
As a crew chief theres nothing worse than finding a full piddle pack in a F15 cockpit thats still warm……it does however get you a case of beer though when you drop back in the Ops Bldg.
howard says
i know a very seasoned pilot who never eats anything that could spoil easily. nothing with mayo or eggs for instance. he regaled us with stories of how air sickness and upset stomachs could make flight time very nasty for anyone in the aircraft. oh and the presence of women in the airforce (he was a 10,000 + hour bomber guy ) had him mentioning all the ladies rooms they had in flight.
Jake says
My dad was in was a Marine going through Flight School, and one day he was taxiing out as number two to practice his Formation flying, still quite young in the program when he saw “SPRAY” coming out of the #1 craft ahead, he said to his instructor ” SIR, I think the plane ahead of us is Leaking something??? ” Reply… ” No, he just had to take a piss” lol hahaha Gets me everytime! Hey Ed, i got a rather serious question for ya??? SO, all of us DREAMERS, when we think of Fighter Pilots, we think of MACH 2, 9 G’s, Fox- 2, and all kinds of the sort that come with the ” Persona” of a Combat Aviator. Although my question is? We are FIRST OFFICERS then PILOTS right??? So? What do you do on a daily basis as an OFFICER in the military, what do you do when you’re NOT IN THE AIR???? Always wondered what can we expect? Keep The Faith!!! See you all in the SKY!!!!
ole Fletch says
How does a, ” FIGHTER PILOT “, take a #-2, when on a very long flight?? Thanks for any answers that I get!!!