Page 40 - AA 2018_09

Applying world’s best
practice athletic strength

and conditioning to the

RAAF’s fighter pilots

WRITER: ANDREW McLAUGHLIN
FIGHTER FIT

lite athletes have long paid The Royal Australian Air Force
particular attention to strength is an early-adopter in implementing
and conditioning to ensure peak a strength and conditioning regime
Ephysical performance. across its fast jet aircrews, starting
The Australian Institute of Sport in 2016 with a trial at Williamtown-
defines strength and conditioning as based 76 Squadron where the RAAF’s
“the provision of medical and physical future fighter aircrew undergo the
services to develop and maintain Introductory Fighter Course (IFC).
speed, agility, endurance, strength, The results have been so encouraging
stability, flexibility, injury prevention, that a strength and conditioning
and management and rehabilitation program is now being rolled out across
for the purposes of enhanced athletic Air Combat Group (ACG).
performance during competition.”
The rapid adoption of science- Culture
based strength and conditioning for Dubbed Fighter Fit, the program has a
elite athletes since the 1960s with the three-pronged focus – a conditioning
development of individual programs phase, a maintenance phase, and if
to cater to specific strengths and necessary, rehabilitation.
weaknesses has improved athlete It is not uncommon for RAAF
movement and technique, and has fast-jet aircrew to sustain neck
improved physical conditioning. injuries, particularly performing basic
As a result, for non-contact fighter manoeuvres (BFM), which can
sports in particular, the incidence of lead to issues with medical approvals,
career-ending injuries has dropped in which can see aircrew re-assigned to
recent decades. And even without the other aircraft types or retiring from
insidious use of illegal performance- flying altogether.
enhancing doping and improvements “It’s been a perennial problem
in equipment technology, records in for fighter aircrew,” noted Wing
‘It’s been a almost every sport have continued to Commander Carlos Almenara,
executive officer of 78 Wing (which
fall. Athletes continue to run faster
perennial and further for longer, balls are being oversees 76 and 79SQNs, which
thrown or hit harder and further, and
operate the Hawk lead-in fighter
problem heavier weights are being lifted. trainer).
“We’ve known about it for a long
Not surprisingly then, militaries
for fighter around the world have started to study time, and due to the extra weight and
displaced centre of gravity of JHMCs
and adapt strength and conditioning
principles, in particular for special and NVGs, it continues.”
forces soldiers and sailors, air force The JHMCS, or the Joint Helmet
aircrew.’
combat controllers and fast jet Mounted Cueing System, is a
WGCDR CARLOS ALMENARA aircrew. miniature projector system mounted
40 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION