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TITLE:
Differences in physical workload between military helicopter pilots and cabin (technical) crew.
WHAT?
A survey comparing the prevalence of neck pain and self-reported exposure to physical work factors between military helicopter pilots and technical crew in the Dutch Defence Helicopter Command.
WHEN?
Data collected between November 2006 and March 2008; study published in 2013.
WHERE?
Dutch Defense Helicopter Command, (multiple helicopter types: Chinook, Cougar, Lynx, Apache).
WHY?
Neck pain is a known occupational hazard in military helicopter operations, affecting flight performance and safety. While both pilots and technical crew wear heavy headgear and perform demanding tasks, their roles differ, potentially leading to different physical workloads and risks. Understanding these differences can guide targeted prevention strategies.
HOW?
Participants responded to an anonymous survey using a validated musculoskeletal questionnaire supplemented with flight-specific questions. Sample included 113 pilots and 61 tech crew. Questions covered neck pain prevalence and frequency, and nine categories of physical workload (e.g., manual handling, posture, dynamic movements).
FINDINGS:
Prevalence:
- Technical crew – 62% reported any neck pain in the past year, 28% reported regular/continuous neck pain.
- Pilots – previously reported 43% (any) and 20% (regular/continuous).
- Nearly all with persistent pain linked it to flying duties.
Physical workload differences:
- In tech crew – manual material handling (95% vs 24%), dynamic torso movements (98% vs 61%), prolonged bent/twisted posture of torso (87% vs 43%) and neck (89% vs 56%), raised arms (38% vs 15%), awkward postures (93% vs 34%).
- In pilots – prolonged same posture (91% vs 72%).
- Similar for both – dynamic neck movements (97–100%), prolonged sitting (85– 96%).
- Implications: Tech crew are exposed to a wider range of physical stressors; pilots experience more static postures. Both groups share high exposure to neck- movement loads.
Prevention:
- Equipment changes, especially lighter or better-balanced helmets and mounted devices, could reduce cumulative neck loading.
- Role-specific education on posture and movement risks may encourage safer behaviours.
SO WHAT?
Neck pain is a significant, flight-related occupational health concern in helicopter operations for both pilots and technical crew, but the underlying physical demands differ by role. Tech crew face more varied and intense whole-body loads; pilots face more static posture strain. Preventive strategies should be role-specific yet also address shared factors like neck load from headgear. Optimising helmet fit/weight distribution and increasing awareness of hazardous postures could help mitigate risks across both occupations.
REFERENCE:
Van den Oord, M. H. A., Sluiter, J. K., & Frings-Dresen, M. H. W. (2014). Differences in physical workload between military helicopter pilots and cabin crew. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 87(4), 381–386. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-013-0876-7
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