What does 9G mean in aircraft?

For most people, the peak G-force they’ve experienced is probably on a rollercoaster during a loop—which is about 3-4G’s. It’s enough to push your head down and pin your arms by your side. Modern fighters like the F-16 and F-35 pull 9G’s, which translates to over 2,000 pounds on my body .

Fighter jets can pull up to 9 g vertically , and the more a pilot can take without blacking out, the better their chances in a dogfight. Some pilots wear “g-suits” which help push the blood away from their legs and towards the brain. People with the highest g tolerance are known as “g-monsters”.

Acceleration is described in units of the force called “Gs.” A pilot in a steep turn may experience forces of acceleration equivalent to many times the force of gravity. This is especially true in military fighter jets and high-performance, aerobatic aircraft where the acceleration forces may be as high as 9 Gs.

When you fly fighter jets you must consider G-forces, or G-load – a numerical ratio of any applied force to the gravitational force at the earth’s surface . This is a force that acts on a body as a result of acceleration or gravity and is described in units of acceleration equal to one G.