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Fighter fit

to find lighter weight JHMCS and between the Fighter Fit managers training system, so they learn to
helmets or modify the cockpit and squadron executives was vital, ‘We’re understand and manage themselves,
environment. But to be honest, it’s and similar to the professional sports and recognise any signs of potential
questionable how much value we model where clinical staff liaise with going to be problems.”
would end up with out of that process. coaches, a model of risk management
“A new helmet might be a little was put in place. conditioning Maintenance
bit lighter and have a better centre of “Around that time I contacted Once aircrew get to the high-G part of
gravity, but it wasn’t fixing the core of one of our lead physios on base,” said candidates the IFC, the program switches from a
the problem. We’ve been hurting fighter WGCDR Almenara. “He and some conditioning to a maintenance phase
pilot necks since WW2, so whilst it was personal training instructors studied all the way where there is a system of monitoring
important if we’ve made the problem other programs and we started to the aircrew so they maintain the
worse through design, it probably implement conditioning and risk through.’ standards achieved in the conditioning
doesn’t target the root of the issue and management strategies within phase.
provide best ‘bang-for-buck’.” 76SQN.” WGCDR CARLOS ALMENARA Williamtown Fighter Fit sports
In late 2015, 76SQN put its physiotherapist Toby Watson said the
Conditioning trainee aircrew onto a conditioning system functions through an app on
So the steering group decided to program in the lead-up to the high-G their smartphone.
focus most of its attention on aircrew part of the IFC, and from that it “The app was developed for us,” he
strength and conditioning, where was able to determine the metrics said. “It looks at specifics such as pain
conditioning, intervention and to start measuring aircrew physical and well-being, but it’s not designed
injury management strategies could conditions and apply risk categories to to ground aircrew. It’s designed to
be applied from when aircrew first individuals. identify potential problem areas early,
entered the fast-jet world. “Depending on the risk category, so we’ll say, ‘Come and see us and do
“We have a highly motivated we started monitoring them during something about it’, rather than letting
workforce that works long hours the high-G part of the course and it turn into something bigger.
and is very focused on their tactical looking for any early signs of injury “The goal is to identify problems
excellence,” WGCDR Almenara said. that we could start to manage before early rather than waiting for aircrew to
“Trying to squeeze anything new it became a problem,” WGCDR get to a point where they need physio
into their working week is a challenge, Almenara said. or other healthcare,” Watson said.
so we needed a program that was “That was successful, and since “So, in being proactive we’re
attractive to them and they could we’ve done that I haven’t seen a looking at things like general pain,
see they were going to get very quick trainee suspended here for any sleep, fatigue and soreness, because
benefits from, but that was also going physical-related problems.” those things are likely indicators that
to be convenient enough to be worked Such has been the success of their bodies might not be responding
into the battle rhythm without having the program at 76SQN, WGCDR as well as they could be.”
to impact the operational side of their Almenara says the RAAF has rolled it Toby Watson comes from an AFL,
flying.” back to the 79SQN Hawk conversion The rehabilitation machines track and field and cycling background
The program needed to be credible and 2FTS ‘Wings’ courses at RAAF installed at Williamtown allow in physiotherapy, so he has worked
and convenient to the squadrons, be Pearce, and to the Central Flying pilots to focus on specific with athletes who have competed in
flexible enough to their workflow, and School (CFS) at RAAF East Sale. muscle areas for rehab speed, strength, impact and endurance
be tailorable to an individual’s needs. “We’re going to be conditioning and strengthening work. sports. As with these previous roles,
To that end, the working relationship candidates all the way through the andrew mclaughlin his job is to identify what activities his

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