Human Factors

Question 1

The different balance systems

Answer 1

1. Visual
2. Vestibular
3. Postural

Question 2

The visual limitations

Answer 2

• Your eye is composed of cones and rods. There is a day blind spot which is located where the optic nerve is located and a night blind spot which is located where the cones are concentrated in the center of the eye.
• Oxygen is the biggest factor in how well your eyes perform, so things such as drinking, smoking, and high altitude affect how well you can see.
• Your eye is also susceptible to many illusions

Question 3

Visual illusions

Answer 3

• Runway width
• Runway slope
• Featureless terrain
• False horizon
• Autokineses

Question 4

Vestibular Illusions

Answer 4

Dependent on gravity and accelerations
- The leans: an unusual attitude being perceived as level flight
- Coriolis illusion: illusion of turning or accelerating on a different axis due to rapid head movement
- Graveyard spiral: false sense of turning which causes the pilot to turn more, tightening a spiral
- Somatogravic illusion: rapid acceleration or deceleration in an axis causing the pilot to believe they are pitching up/down
- Elevator illusion: similar to somatogravic, except up and down

Question 5

Narrower than usual runway

Answer 5

Gives the impression you are higher/steeper than normal
Also makes the runway seem to be on an upslope

Question 6

Wider than usual runway

Answer 6

Gives the impression you are lower/shallower than normal
Also makes the runway seem to be on a downslope

Question 7

Upsloping runway

Answer 7

Gives the impression you are higher/steeper than normal

Question 8

Downsloping runway

Answer 8

Gives the impression you are lower/shallower than normal

Question 9

Rapid movement of the head could cause

Answer 9

Coriolis effect

Question 10

Sudden level off from climb causes a feeling of

Answer 10

tumbling backwards

Question 11

sudden acceleration causes the feeling of

Answer 11

pitching up