[Nutrition on flights and its quantitative adequacy to pilot energy expenditure]

The paper discusses certain aspects of nutrition of aircraft crews in prolonged flights. It described meals arrangements in flights of up to 4 hours, physiological-hygienic requirements to flight diets and, on this basis, possible improvement of crew nutrition through a better utilization of meals on the ground. The paper reviews the Soviet and foreign data on pilot energy expenditures and caloric value of diets in flights over 4 hours and, in this context, emphasizes potential development of excessive food intake with symptoms of acute overeating in prolonged flights (8-12 hours). This information should be taken into consideration in order to advance organization and medical monitoring of flight diets.