Flight vs. Heart Rate

(From the March 2025 issue of the Chapter 26 newsletter)

Engineers and their toys.....

OK, I got a fancy watch for Christmas, the kind that connects to your phone and has all sorts of features. It includes several modes to optimize for what you're doing...sleeping, exercising, etc. In the exercise mode, it continuously records your heart rate.

Hmmmm....I have a device in my airplane that continuously records where I'm at. Occurred to me to try to CORRELATE that data...see what my heart rate is doing during various phases of flight.

It wasn't necessarily easy. My watch does not output data, just graphics....so I needed to transcribe its results with some home-grown time hacks. The position data (ADS-B) only records when I'm in flight (typical altitude ~800 feet or higher) and IT records it vs. GMT.

But...as a systems engineer, I'm used to merging these separate systems.

The diagram on the next page shows my heart rate vs. what I'm doing in the airplane at the time. I'm amused that my highest heart rate is just CLIMBING INTO the thing and strapping on the aircraft.

The yellow boxes are approximations of events, the vertical hacks show the ADS-B position. Note, again, the ADS-B shuts down close to the ground so the heart rate peaks don't necessarily match.

Generally, though, I'm a cool cat. My typical sitting heart rate is about 80 BPM, and for "normal" flying, it just rises a bit. It does go up when I enter the pattern at my home field...there were a lot of planes in the air at the time.

Also, there's a curious spike at 2:39 PM. Might have spotted another aircraft.....
Attachment 9636

Ron Wanttaja

Cool data. I wonder what happens during aerobatics? My average is 50-60 resting heart rate.

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Originally Posted by rwanttaja

(From the March 2025 issue of the Chapter 26 newsletter)
The diagram on the next page shows my heart rate vs. what I'm doing in the airplane at the time. I'm amused that my highest heart rate is just CLIMBING INTO the thing and strapping on the aircraft.

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Probably when your mind is contemplating all of the things that COuLD go wrong... unless you're as out of shape as I am, which would explain it quite nicely.

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Originally Posted by Aerowerk

Cool data. I wonder what happens during aerobatics? My average is 50-60 resting heart rate.

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I think if anyone sees my heart rate below 60, it will be right before they pull the sheet over my face.

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Originally Posted by Aerowerk

Cool data. I wonder what happens during aerobatics? My average is 50-60 resting heart rate.

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Actually, years ago, I read that flying aerobatics is an excellent aerobic exercise; you rarely see a fat acro pilot. It increases your heart rate and breathing rate as you use large muscle groups in rhythmic, repetitive movements. That's the literal definition of "cardio."

Actually, I have the heart of a 12-year-old boy. If you ever come to Seattle, I'll take the jar out of the desk and show you. :-)

Ron Wanttaja

And I have a swimmer's body.



Walruses are great swimmers.

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Originally Posted by DaleB

And I have a swimmer's body.



Walruses are great swimmers.

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I don't go to the beach any more. People keep running up and trying to drag me into the water....

Ron "Thar he blows" Wanttaja

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Originally Posted by rwanttaja

I don't go to the beach any more. People keep running up and trying to drag me into the water....

Ron "Thar he blows" Wanttaja

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That's funny, When I go to the beach, people tend to run away...Ot at least cover their eyes.

I find the most physically challenging maneuver to be the spiral dive. I always do that on the way home to lose altitude, and will pull 3.5-4G for 360 degrees. Most of the rest of the time, for my easy aerobatics, I'm only pulling G for a short period.

I used to do that in the tow plane after the sailplane released. Fun, too...

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Originally Posted by lnuss

I used to do that in the tow plane after the sailplane released. Fun, too...

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Yep - although in the Pawnee just going fast gets you down pretty quick! Especially if it's smooth enough to get to 160 mph.

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Originally Posted by Aerowerk

Yep - although in the Pawnee just going fast gets you down pretty quick! Especially if it's smooth enough to get to 160 mph.

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True, but I was in a Cessna 180 or 182, depending on which year. And we had other air traffic to deal with so our descent area was restricted.