CTV W5: Canadian pilots sleeping while in flight
Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 3:06 am
https://vanwinkles.com/how-fighter-pilo ... le-fatigue
[quote]the Air Force quietly reinstated the use of Dexedrine as a Go-Pill for pilots in 1996
After Go-Pills were given the go-ahead, researchers were intrigued by the potential utility of an interesting new stimulant called [b]Modafinil[/b]. While amphetamines had been used safely for nearly half a century to sharpen up pilots and prevent fatigue, there remained the nagging potential for abuse and addiction, as well as bouts of post-dose sleeplessness. In comparison, results of studies with Modafinil were eye-popping: It appear to enable intense and prolonged alertness without becoming addictive. It's a non-stimulant and so does not interfere with sleep patterns. And, amazingly, it doesn't yield tolerance. For all intents and purposes, Modafinil was a unicorn.
The Air Force tested this new wonder drug with helicopter pilots, fighter pilots and bomber pilots and found no apparent downsides, even after long-term use. As a result, the Air Force began administering the drug to fighter pilots during the 2003 invasion of Iraq along with Dexedrene, and have had no issues to date. (It also explains why Modafinil, which was formulated to help narcoleptics stay awake during the day, quickly became a darling of nose-to-the-grindstone Silicon Valley programmers.)[/quote]