How Do Fighter Jet Pilots Take a Pee Break?

"Fighter jet" and "comfort" rarely appear in the same sentence

It is normal for a fighter pilot, like any other human being, to take a 'need break' while flying in the air. When flying passenger aircraft, large transport aircraft or special mission aircraft such as aerial refueling, pilots are expected to fly for 8-10 hours or more. This is a normal situation. To meet the needs of long flight times, such large airplanes have a galley, seats that are not very comfortable but can lie down or turn into a bed, etc., as well as a toilet as standard equipment. If there is enough space, a place can be planned for every kind of convenience in airplanes that will not resemble a very luxurious hotel, for example in business jets, which serve "very important people" such as the head of state, so-called VIPs. We are not talking about the 'need breaks' that private and/or privileged pilots flying in such airplanes would take. Their job is easy anyway. Let us focus on pilots flying fighter jets.

For pilots flying fighter jets such as the F-16, F-35, Rafale, Typhoon, Gripen, etc., it is a big problem for them to take a "necessity break" (to use the small toilet) after taking off, in addition to eating and drinking. After connecting to the aircraft, in that tiny cockpit environment, in that cramped cockpit ergonomics that allows them to control all kinds of devices, unfortunately, there is no room for a toilet or a microwave oven. This is especially the case in American-made fighter jets. I would say that pilots flying in some Russian-made fighter jets are a bit luckier in this respect. 

What does a long flight mean for a fighter pilot?

For jet pilots, flights averaging between 1 and 1 hour and 30 minutes are considered "normal" in terms of flight time. On normal flights, the common practice is to reduce fluid consumption and visit the restroom before putting on (in aviation jargon) their flight suits (G-suit, flight vest, harness, etc.). Over the flight suit, the G-suit is worn, which tightly covers the belly and legs and acts as a kind of corset. An inflatable life vest and a survival vest are also essential items of equipment. Some airplanes may also have leg retractors/retainers (spurs) attached to the ejection seat to prevent the legs from breaking during ejection. A harness, called a harness, is worn on the upper body so that when the pilot is strapped into the airplane, the harness keeps the pilot connected to the parachute in the cockpit chair throughout the flight. If for any reason the pilot gives the command to jump, it is possible for him to integrate with the jump system that will save his life and leave the aircraft safely. As a result, the jet pilot who goes on a flight armed with all this equipment inevitably turns into a robot or robopilot. He becomes like an astronaut.

For a flight (1 sortie) in modern aircraft, for example in fighter jets like the F-16, the time spent from the moment of arrival at the aircraft to the moment of take-off is 40 minutes on average. At the end of landing, at least 20 minutes are needed for end-of-landing checks, taxiing and engine shutdown in the parking lot or shelter. All in all, the duration of a normal flight with the F-16 should be considered as 2 to 2 hours and 30 minutes in total. In a normal flight sortie of this kind, unless the pilot is suffering from a special illness, there is no need for a 'need break'. As this duration starts to increase, things start to get more difficult. Flights exceeding 3-4 hours are called long flights in terms of need breaks.

Almost all fighter jets can theoretically stay in the air for an 'infinite' time by refueling from the air. In practice, patrol flights for the protection of an area, especially with air defense and interceptor aircraft loaded with air-to-air missiles, are planned together with aerial refueling aircraft. In this case, an average stay in the air of 6-8 hours, including the time spent in the aircraft on the ground, is foreseen. In a flight of such a long duration, human physiology undoubtedly requires a break, but rarely, some pilots prefer to 'hold it' for the entire flight, instead of taking care of their needs in the air. The biggest reason for this is the problem of 'not being able to do it in the air', which is purely psychological. Pilots who hold their urine in the air sometimes cannot stand it and come to land by declaring an emergency. When the tower operators ask the reason for the early landing, it is enough to say 'nature calls' over the radio. Everyone knows what this means. While this cryptic answer causes sarcastic laughter among those in the flight tower, he is undoubtedly given priority for landing. He is helped to land as soon as possible and to vent his troubles on nature.

In the early 1990s, Turkish Air Force fighter pilots were first confronted with the necessity of taking breaks in the air during northern watch missions over northern Iraq, where they flew with fighter pilots from NATO allied countries. Then, between 1993 and 1999, pilots of Turkish fighter squadrons based at Ghedi in Italy, scheduled for rotational deployments, became accustomed to very long missions during flights over Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. Similarly, the pilots of the Turkish unit deployed to Sicily in 2011 also flew long patrol flights over the Mediterranean Sea. From time to time, they took part in internal security or cross-border operations, as well as in exercises abroad, or in aerial refueling support and long-duration flights during ocean crossing flights. Therefore, Turkish fighter pilots are accustomed to performing long-duration flights, and in this sense, our pilots are well aware of the requirements and methods of taking a 'need break'.

The Need to Drink Water Increases During Long Flights at High Altitude

The majority of long-duration flights take place in high altitude conditions. In high-altitude flights, cabin pressure is automatically maintained by the aircraft pressurization and air conditioning systems, as similar as possible to the ground environment. This is the case for both passenger and fighter aircraft. On the other hand, dehydration is common on long flights. During long-haul flights, for example on a flight from Istanbul to New York, you may feel that your throat, nose and skin are dry due to dehydration. You may have experienced this. The longer the flight, the greater the risk of dehydration for both pilots and passengers. 

In general, we know that the ambient humidity level is lower in passenger cabins and pilots' cabins than on the ground. This leads to dehydration in pilots and passengers. This is because most of the air circulating in the cockpit and cabin is taken from outside during the flight. Since there is not much moisture in the air at high altitudes, the pilot and/or passenger must meet (replace) the moisture needed by the body by consuming water. If not enough water is consumed, the danger of dehydration increases. For this reason, doctors who are experts in the field of flight medicine always recommend pilots and passengers to drink more water than usual both before boarding the plane and during the flight during long flights. Flight physiology demands it.

Therefore, fighter pilots, while carrying out their flight mission in a tiny cockpit, consume more water than usual to avoid the danger of dehydration as the flight time increases. In this situation, no matter how hard the pilot tries to hold back his urine, he finds it difficult to do so. Moreover, urinary pressure can interfere with the fighter pilot's ability to focus on the flight mission, fly the aircraft safely and make a safe landing. Therefore, when pressure builds up, it is necessary to relieve the pressure and take a break as normal people do on the ground. By the way, it is preferable (especially for passengers) to drink tomato juice in moderation during the flight. This is because the cortisone in tomato juice protects the pilot (and passengers) against the body stress caused by the long flight time. In addition, it is imperative that our cells are nourished with water. Therefore, consumption of tomato juice and plenty of water is a standard practice for long flights. Of course, even if we are passengers, consuming a lot of water in the air invites more trips to the restroom than usual. Even on passenger planes, waiting in line can sometimes be annoying, but how do you think fighter pilots can take a break in fighter jets that don't have a toilet? Let's take a look at some of the ways.

During long flights at high altitude, when drinking a lot of water, fighter pilots need to take breaks more often than usual 

During the years I served in the Turkish Air Force as a fighter pilot in F-16 aircraft, I flew all kinds of long-duration flight missions. I was introduced to long-duration flight missions with Reconnaissance from the North, I participated in the Deny Flight (Bosnia and Herzegovina) from Italy in 1994 and Operation Libya from Sicily in 2011, I took part as a pilot in countless internal security operations and flight exercises. During flights lasting 6-8 hours, it was never possible for me to 'hold my toilet'. I am one of those pilots who think that it is not right to try to hold it in, to force the body. I believe that there is no need to harm our body and put stress on it.

Three ways to empty urine in fighter jets 

1) Adult Diapering Method:

This is the classical method used for babies or incontinent elderly people, i.e. the pilot wears a diaper and goes on the flight. This is a practical method and quite easy. It is also preferable if the need break is to be taken only once during the flight. However, the problem is that the pilot has to continue the flight with a wet diaper for the rest of the flight time after the need is met, which is not very healthy, as any adult who has dealt with small babies or adult patients knows. The simplest thing is diaper rash. For pilots who are frequently scheduled for such missions, dealing with diaper rash can become a serious problem. Again, the smell in the cockpit can be relatively unbearable. Moreover, since it is not possible to camouflage the enlarged diaper under the flight suit when landing at the end of the flight, fighter pilots may face 'embarrassing' situations on the flight lines at the end of the flight. For this reason, it is not a preferred method, but I have read that it is used in the literature, but I have never witnessed any Turkish pilot using it, nor have I experienced it myself.

2) The Potty Tube Method:

A flexible hose attached to the end of a pipe attached to the right or left console, similar to an oxygen hose in the cockpit, and held on the console wall, is extended to the front of the pilot (between the crotch), urine is discharged into a funnel-shaped apparatus or adapter attached to the head of the hose, and from there, urine is released out of the aircraft into the air through the pipe, through a check valve that only allows outward flow. 

I remember that the T-33 aircraft of the 121st Squadron Command, where I received advanced jet training in Çiğli, had such a mechanism, but it had been disabled. I have never come across any of our pilots using such a mechanism. However, according to my reading, this method was widely used among American T-33 pilots in the past.

Generally speaking, this method can only be used on aircraft with this capability. However, modern fighter jets produced today do not have such a mechanism. In this case, modern fighter jets are required to fulfill the pilot's need break either with the cloth method or the urine bag method.

3) Urine Bag Method:

I have already mentioned that fighter pilots go to their flight missions armed with flight suits and equipment, almost like a 'robot'. Indeed, fighter pilots carry out their flight activities in a cramped cockpit, wearing all that weight. In fact, in over-sea flights, special suits called 'pupy suits' can be worn instead of or inside the flight suit, which protect the pilot against the icy sea water for a while during a jump and ultimately save the pilot valuable time needed to survive until the rescue teams reach him. Although not as much as astronauts, the use of such clothing/equipment, which really restricts the pilot's movement and comfort in the cockpit, is not liked by the majority of fighter pilots, since it is seen as a necessity for their own safety, pilots do what is necessary and perform their flights with this 'restrictive equipment' and somehow, over time, they get used to this clothing/equipment. 

In this situation, the pilot's taking a break for necessity looks ceremonial and requires a special ritual. It is recommended that pilots who will be doing this job for the first time practice it on the ground. Otherwise, in the air, in that cramped cockpit environment, it is unlikely to be able to fulfill the requirement of the break properly the first time, without getting wet left and right. 

A piddle pack is a watertight bag containing some kind of spongy material or special absorbent powder to absorb urine. The mouth of the bag is wide enough for the pilot to empty the urine and is made at an ergonomically appropriate angle.

The pilot who will take a break of necessity shall first notify the leader of the task group he/she is flying with or, if he/she is the leader, the pilot he/she has appointed as tactical leader. In two-seater airplanes, it is sufficient to inform the other pilot of the situation by talking in the cockpit and to transfer the responsibility for flight and radio conversations to the other pilot. In all cases, especially in single-seat airplanes, the airplane should continue its flight in level flight (without altitude gain or loss, without bank, in a steady state) and the autopilot is used for this purpose. The autopilot is kept under visual cross-check, and it is necessary to be ready in case the autopilot is somehow disengaged. The ejection seat is put in the upright position (unlock), which prevents the ejection seat's firing mechanism from being activated even if the arm is pulled out, so that there is no accidental pulling of the arm. The waist belt is loosened and only the heads of the waist straps are carefully released from the right and left console. At this point, the tethers must not get tangled in the throttle lever and the elevator in any way. Like the autopilot, it is necessary to keep these straps in cross-control. Afterwards, the seat is shifted into a reclined position. The bottom zipper of the flight suit is unzipped, and the phase of emptying the urine into the bag is completed. Afterwards, the mouth of the bag is tightened and the bag full of urine is carefully left in the map box or in a suitable empty box on the console. At the end of the flight, it is an Air Force custom for the pilot to take the bag and throw it away. After emptying the urine, the flight suit zipper is closed again in reverse order, the waist belt is fastened and the pilot exits the autopilot. The chair arm is put in the lock position. The arm leader is informed that the 'mission has been successfully completed' with a sigh of relief. All this takes basically one minute. After a few experiences, these actions become routine, similar to those on the ground, and the pilot is able to perform them with ease. By the way, I should also mention that I have come across pilots who have become so proficient that they almost take a break during the descent that they make it a habit to do this even on normal short flights. 

Here, parenthetically, we should mention the importance of unbuckling the waist belts. If it is possible, it is enough to loosen them instead of unbuckling them completely. Of course, this may not be possible for pilots who are a bit overweight. Nevertheless, it should be noted that loosening should be preferred in terms of flight safety. If sufficient care is not taken in this regard, accidents that may result in the loss of aircraft and pilots may occur. As a matter of fact, we know that "on May 13, 2013, a Turkish F-16 fighter jet performing a standby mission at the border within the scope of the Syrian crisis crashed because the pilot caught his waist belt buckle between the flight controller and the chair while urinating, and the reason for the crash was identified as 'lack of piloting and training'. I think the importance of the waist belt issue can be better understood if we point out that such break break accidents have occurred several times in single-seat fighter jets around the world.

Status of Women Jet Pilots

The number of women pilots operating jet aircraft worldwide is very small. This is due to the traditionally 'male-dominated' culture of the military, with the added requirement of high physical fitness to be a fighter pilot. Most female pilots are not physically qualified for fighter aircraft. In addition, when women's special days, pregnancy periods and their need for leave afterwards, etc. are taken into account, it becomes clear why fighter jet pilots are not often assigned among women pilots. However, it is also a fact that there are women pilots in the Turkish Air Force and in the air forces of many developed countries who are at least as capable as men as jet pilots. 

The first method, i.e. the use of adult diapers, is the most valid and preferred method for female jet pilots who will be scheduled for long flight missions. Of course, the second and third methods are relatively easier for male pilots in terms of physiological adaptation. For female pilots, it is reported in the literature that the use of an additional hygienic apparatus or adapter in the form of a funnel, if necessary, is beneficial in solving the problem. However, since I have not exchanged views with any female pilots on this subject, I cannot comment on this issue. In 1996, when I was in the F-16 Instructor Course in the USA, I remember listening during a bar conversation that there was a urine bag called "lady john" for female fighter pilots, and that it was easy to empty urine while sitting in a normal seat, but it was difficult for a jet pilot woman sitting in the ejection seat to do this using the "lady john".

How do Russian-made airplanes take a pee break?

The Russians consider it necessary to have a toilet in their fighter jets as much as possible. Although the Russians no longer have the luxury to have a toilet in the cockpits of modern Russian fighter jets, the Su-34 can still be used as an example in this respect. The cockpit of the Su-34 is equipped with a toilet and a small kitchenette for the pilot and the weapons systems officer. The same mechanism is also found on the Su-27. An interesting sight, isn't it?

The pilots of Su-30MK fighters wear special flight suits with "urine bags", and during attachment to the aircraft, they also attach their urine bags to the aircraft. Once attached to the aircraft, these bags are connected to the bladder tanks by a hose, similar to the way oxygen and G-suit hoses are connected. This convenience allows Russian pilots to fly flights of more than 10 hours without any difficulty.

Conclusion

Fighter piloting is a demanding occupation that exhausts the body in every aspect. This includes the difficulties experienced during breaks in the air. For this reason alone, some pilots prefer to be transport, special mission or helicopter pilots, which offer a relatively more 'livable' environment, rather than fighter pilots. And they are not entirely wrong. You will better appreciate what I mean if you watch the following one-minute video, albeit a bit humorous. I, for one, will always prefer being a fighter pilot to any other profession in this life. Even at my advanced age, when I have become accustomed to comfort, I would not choose any other profession over being a fighter pilot. I guess the fact that I never found it a problem to take a break in the air in the past is a factor that reinforces this opinion!

Bibliography:

Fevzi Çakır, "Pilot who took a pee shot down the F-16 when his belt got stuck", Habertürk, September 28, 2016, https://www.haberturk.com/gundem/haber/1302674-cisini-yapan-pilot-kemeri-sikisinca-f-16yi-dusurmus

Uğurcan Yıldız, "What happens to the human body on long-haul flights?", Independent Türkçe, January 9, 2023, https://www.indyturk.com/node/597271/sağlik/uzun-mesafeli-uçuşlarda-insan-vücuduna-neler-oluyor

M. Savaş İlbasmış, "Physiological effects of high altitude flight", Doktor Sitesi, December 27, 2011, https://www.doktorsitesi.com/blog/makale/yuksek-irtifa-ucusunun-fizyolojik-etkileri

Rex Mutero, "Since there is no bathroom in fighter jets, what pilots of fighter jets do when they have a bathroom need while flying?", https://www.quora.com/Since-there-is-no-bathroom-in-fighter-jets-what-pilots-of-fighter-jets-do-when-they-have-a-bathroom-need-while-flying?no_redirect=1

Andy Bordick, "How do fighter jet pilots pee or poop?", https://www.quora.com/How-do-fighter-jet-pilots-pee-or-poop