Objective To explore the differences in neck and lumbar spine injuries among different types of aircraft pilots and the correlation between body surface temperature and the severity of injury.Methods Data were collected by questionnaire surveys and medical examinations.Forty male pilots were selected as research objects,including 14 fighter pilots and 26 helicopter pilots,aged between 28 and 39 years,with a height range of 168 to 178 cm,and a total flight time of 600 to 2 000 h.Infrared thermal imaging was employed for skin temperature.A questionnaire survey was conducted for the assessment of the common site and degree of pain.The relationship between body surface temperature and pain was investigated.Results Fighter pilots mainly complained of discomfort in the neck and scapular region,while helicopter pilots were more likely to experience lower back pain.The skin temperature in the affected regions was significantly higher than that in the surrounding normal regions in both fighter pilots and helicopter pilots(P<0.05).The pain score was positively related with elevated temperature in the affected areas(P<0.05).Conclusion It is found that fighter pilots are more prone to neck and scapular pain,while helicopter pilots are more likely to experience lower back pain.The severity of pain is positively related with increased temperature in the affected areas.Infrared thermal imaging can be used to assess temperature variation at injured sites and the location of training injuries among pilots.