Human Factors & ADM Flashcards
What are the five hazardous attitudes and their antidotes?
Anti-authority, Impulsivity, Invulnerability, Macho, and Resignation, each with specific antidotes
These five hazardous attitudes can affect pilot decision-making:
Anti-authority (“Don’t tell me” - antidote: Follow the rules),
Impulsivity (“Do it quickly” - antidote: Not so fast, think first),
Invulnerability (“It won’t happen to me” - antidote: It could happen to me),
Macho (“I can do it” - antidote: Taking chances is foolish), and
Resignation (“What’s the use?” - antidote: I’m not helpless).
Recognizing these attitudes in yourself is crucial for safe decision-making.
What are the three main sensory systems used for orientation and how can they create illusions?
Inner ear (vestibular), feel (skin/muscle), and visual systems - conflicts between them cause disorientation
Pilots rely on three sensory systems for orientation: the inner ear’s vestibular system, feel from skin and muscle nerves, and visual references. When these systems provide conflicting information, particularly in conditions like IMC, pilots can experience dangerous disorientation. This is why instrument training is crucial - it teaches pilots to trust their instruments over potentially misleading sensory inputs.
What are the signs and proper response to hypoxia?
- Signs: euphoria, confused thinking, visual issues
- Response: descend or use supplemental oxygen
Hypoxia presents with various symptoms including euphoria, confused thinking, visual disturbances, and feeling tired or lightheaded. The danger is these symptoms can be subtle and hard to recognize in yourself. The immediate response should be to get more oxygen, either by descending to a lower altitude or using supplemental oxygen. This is why regulations require supplemental oxygen above 12,500 feet MSL.
Euphoria, poor judgment, visual issues are symptoms of:
Hypoxia
Hypoxia can present as a feeling of wellbeing (euphoria) despite deteriorating performance. Symptoms include confused thinking, poor judgment, visual disturbances, and lightheadedness. The danger lies in how subtle and pleasant the initial symptoms can feel, making self-diagnosis difficult.
What are the requirements for alcohol and flying?
8 hours bottle to throttle, BAC below 0.04%
The FAA’s alcohol rules require at least 8 hours between the last drink and flying, plus a blood alcohol content below 0.04%. This is more stringent than driving requirements.
How do you prevent spatial disorientation?
Trust instruments, avoid rapid head movements in IMC, etc.
Spatial disorientation can be prevented by trusting flight instruments over physical sensations, especially in IMC. Avoid unnecessary head movements, maintain a good instrument scan, and recognize situations that might lead to disorientation.
What should you do if carbon monoxide is suspected?
Turn off heat, open air vents, land soon
Carbon monoxide poisoning requires immediate action because it can be fatal. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, and drowsiness. The source is often exhaust leaking into the cabin heating system.
What causes the false horizon illusion at night?
Ground lights mistaken for the horizon
How do you recover from a graveyard spiral?
Level wings first, then recover from dive
Recovery from a graveyard spiral requires first leveling the wings before pulling out of the dive. Attempting to pull up while still banked will only tighten the spiral and increase descent rate.
What causes the somatogravic illusion?
Rapid acceleration
The somatogravic illusion occurs during rapid acceleration, typically during takeoff. It creates a false sensation of nose-high attitude which can lead pilots to make dangerous nose-down inputs.
