The unique aspect of aerospace medicine as practiced by a U.S. Naval Flight Surgeon is the requirement to function independently at isolated duty stations. Whether at sea, on a small patch of land in mid-ocean, or at expeditionary airfield of the Fleet Marine Force, Flight Surgeons are often called upon to make medical and administrative decisions which affect the lives and careers of the most critical assets in the naval service - members of the Naval Aviation community. Not only must we treat the day to day medical problems but we must be prepared to deal with a vast array of casualties which all too frequently remind us of the danger inherent in Naval Aviation.

This manual is both an introduction to the various aspects of Naval Aerospace Medicine and a guide for dealing with the other complex administrative procedures known as “the system.” This revision has evolved from questions most frequently asked, errors most commonly made, with a dash of seasoned advice passed down to the youngsters. The manual should stand between the Manual of the Medical Department and a current text on aerospace medicine. It is written to provide the Flight Surgeon with a reminder of the material presented in the formal course of aerospace medicine and as a reinforcement of the fact that the U.S. Naval Flight Surgeon stands at the apex of military operational medicine.

The U.S. Naval Flight Surgeon’s Manual was originally designed to be updated at frequent intervals. This revision is the first since 1977 and has therefore resulted in an extensive rewrite of most of the chapters. The plan is to keep the manual current through annual submissions of new material by the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute and through contributions from the users of this text.

Chapter 1 Physiology of Flight
Chapter 2 Acceleration and Vibration
Chapter 3 Vestibular Function
Chapter 4 Space Flight Considerations
Chapter 5 Internal Medicine
Chapter 6 Psychiatry
Chapter 7 Neurology
Chapter 8 Otorhinolaryngology
Chapter 9 Ophthalmology
Chapter 10 Dermatology
Chapter 11 Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Chapter 12 Aerospace Psychological Qualifications
Chapter 13 Aviation Medicine with Fleet Marine Forces
Chapter 14 The Aircraft Carrier
Chapter 15 Disposition of Problem cases
Chapter 17 Medication and Flight
Chapter 18 Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Chapter 19 Fatigue
Chapter 20 Thermal Stresses and Injuries
Chapter 21 Toxicology
Chapter 22 Emergency Escape from Aircraft
Chapter 23 Aircraft Mishap Investigations
Chapter 24 Aircraft Accident Survivability
Chapter 25 Aircraft Accident Autopsies
Historical Chronology of Aerospace Medicine in the U.S. Navy