Human factors

Question 0

Symptoms of hyperventilation

Answer 0

Light headed ness
Dizziness
Tingling
Visual disturbances
Tremors
Confusion
Faintness
Numbness

Question 1

Symptoms of hypoxia

Answer 1

Euphoria
Visual disturbances
Light headed ness
Dizziness
Confusion
Apprehension
Sense of well being

Question 2

Symptoms of CO poisoning

Answer 2

Headache
Breathlessness
Impaired judgement
Feeling of warmth
Sluggish
Cherry red skin

Question 3

Define time of useful consciousness

Answer 3

The time available for pilots to perform useful tasks without supplemental oxygen, before hypoxia sets in

Question 4

Time of useful consciousness at 18000ft

Answer 4

20 mins at moderate activity

30 mins at minimal activity

Question 5

What is the cornea

Answer 5

Transparent cap over the eye

Question 6

What is lens

Answer 6

Changes shape to focus light

Question 7

What is presbyopia

Answer 7

Lack of flexibility in lens with age, causing less curvature and therefore inability to focus

Question 8

What is the retina

Answer 8

A light sensitive layer on back of the eye, made up of cones on the foveal region and rods outside the foveal region

Question 9

What are cones

Answer 9

Sensitive to colour, details and distant objects

Most effective in good faith light

Question 10

What are rods

Answer 10

Concentrated outside foveal region
Effective in day and night
Peripheral vision
Sensitive to movement but no colour or detail

Question 11

What is blind spot

Answer 11

Small area on the retina where nerve fibres on the retina lead to the optic nerve

Question 12

What is empty field myopia

Answer 12

Natural tendency when not trying to focus for eyes to focus only 1-2 metres away.

Question 13

What is astigmatism

Answer 13

Curvature of cornea or lens not perfectly round causing uneven refraction

Question 14

How long do eyes take to adjust to darkness

Answer 14

Cones 7mins

Rods 30mins

Question 15

Best scanning technique

Answer 15

Scan whole field of view but in short increments. At night scan more slowly.

Question 16

What is autokinesis

Answer 16

Visual illusion from staring continuously at a single bright object on a dark background. The more you stare the more it may oscillate.

Question 17

What can cause false horizons

Answer 17

Sloping layers of cloud

Angled lines on ground

Question 18

What can cause visual illusions on approach

Answer 18

Runway slope
Runway size
Haze

Question 19

Parts of the inner ear

Answer 19

Cochlea - converts mechanical energy from ossicles into electrical energy
Vestibular Apparatus - 3 semi-circular canals that sense angular acceleration
Otolithic Organ - detects linear (fore, aft, up, down) acceleration

Question 20

Parts of Middle ear

Answer 20

Ossicles - 3 small bones that take eardrum vibrations and magnify
Eustachian Tube - equalises middle ear pressure via nasal passage

Question 21

What is presbycusis

Answer 21

Natural hearing loss with age especially in higher frequencies

Question 22

What is false vertical

Answer 22

Otolithic organ detects direction of g forces but not origin, so in a balanced turn false vertical recognised

Question 23

What is the leans

Answer 23

Perception of turn in other direction when

• gentle roll in not felt
• stop roll made briskly and felt as if initial roll in other direction

Question 24

Coriolis illusion

Answer 24

This involves the simultaneous stimulation of two semicircular canals and is associated with a sudden tilting (forward or backwards) of the pilot’s head while the aircraft is turning. This can occur when tilting the head down (to look at an approach chart or to write on the knee pad), or up (to look at an overhead instrument or switch) or sideways. This can produce an overpowering sensation that the aircraft is rolling, pitching, and yawing all at the same time, which can be compared with the sensation of rolling down a hillside. This illusion can make the pilot quickly become disoriented and lose control of the aircraft.

Question 25

Graveyard spiral

Answer 25

The graveyard spiral is more common than the graveyard spin, and it is associated with a return to level flight following a prolonged bank turn. For example, a pilot who enters a banking turn to the left will initially have a sensation of a turn in the same direction. If the left turn continues (for more than about 20 seconds), the pilot will experience the sensation that the airplane is no longer turning to the left. At this point, if the pilot attempts to level the wings this action will produce a sensation that the airplane is turning and banking in the opposite direction (to the right). If the pilot believes the illusion of a right turn (which can be very compelling), he will re-enter the original left turn in an attempt to counteract the sensation of a right turn.

Unfortunately, while this is happening, the airplane is still turning to the left and losing altitude. Pulling the control yoke/stick and applying power would simply tighten the turn. If the pilot fails to recognize the illusion and does not level the wings, the airplane will continue turning left and losing altitude until it hits the ground

Question 26

Head up illusion

Answer 26

The head-up illusion involves a sudden forward linear acceleration during level flight where the pilot perceives the illusion that the nose of the aircraft is pitching up. The pilot’s response to this illusion would be to push the yoke or the stick forward to pitch the nose of the aircraft down. A night take-off from a well-lit airport into a totally dark sky (black hole) or a catapult take-off from an aircraft carrier can also lead to this illusion, and could result in a crash.

Question 27

Autokinetic illusion

Answer 27

The autokinetic illusion occurs at night or in conditions with poor visual cues. This illusion gives the pilot the impression that a stationary object is moving in front of the airplane’s path; it is caused by staring at a fixed single point of light (ground light or a star) in a totally dark and featureless background. The reason why this visual illusion occurs is because of very small movements of the eyes. In conditions with poor visual cues accompanied by a single source of light, these eye movements are interpreted by the brain as movement of the object being viewed.[6] This illusion can cause a misperception that such a light is on a collision course with the aircraft.

Question 28

Cause if pressure vertigo

Answer 28

Unequal pressure in middle ears due to one Eustachian tube being blocked

Question 29

Sequence of g force effects on body

Answer 29

Colour vision (3.5-4.5g) grey out
Tunnel vision
Blackout - blinded but still conscious
Loss of consciousness

Rapid increase in g could cause straight to loss of consciousness
Recovery from loss of consciousness at least 15 seconds

Question 30

Cause of redout

Answer 30

In negative g inability to un-blink lower eye lid

Question 31

Time period between alcohol consumption and flying

Answer 31

8 hours after small quantities

24 hours after heavy drinking

Question 32

Which are the control instruments

Answer 32

Attitude

Power

Question 33

What are the performance instruments

Answer 33

Airspeed
Heading
Altitude
Rate of climb
Rate of turn

Question 34

Threat and error management model

Answer 34

A framework that categorises the major factors in the accident chain of events and highlights interrelationships between external influences and human response

Question 35

Components of TEM

Answer 35

Threats - anticipation, avoidance, or counters to
Errors - recognition and prevention
Undesired aircraft States - correction or recovery
Accidents - avoidance of outcome

Question 36

Best night vision is achieved by

Answer 36

Looking slightly off centre

Question 37

What is myopia

Answer 37

Short sightedness

Question 38

What is hyperopia or hyper entropic

Answer 38

Long sightedness