F-22A Pilots Get Combat Edge:

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

The F-22A is the first fighter that can handle a sustained 9.5 g turn. So can the pilots—thanks to a new combination of flight gear. Raptor pilots wear the Combat Edge flight suit, as well as new G-pants, that give them extra endurance under the most punishing forces. The flying gear applies pressure to the body under high-g stress, keeping uninterrupted blood flow to the brain. Pilots still have to do the M-1 maneuver—grunting and straining the diaphragm—to aid tolerance.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org