Spatial Disorientation and Fog Flashcards
What are the three systems the body uses for spatial orientation?
V
S
S
Vestibular System,
Visual System
Somatosensory System,
The vestibular system consists of organs in the inner ear, the somatosensory system consists of nerves in the skin, muscles, and joints, and the visual system provides visual cues from the eyes.
What does the Vestibular System consist of?
Organs in the inner ear
The vestibular system includes three semicircular canals and two otolith organs.
What are the functions of the semicircular canals?
Sense movement in pitch, roll, and yaw
The canals are filled with fluid that moves against sensory hairs as the head moves.
What do the otolith organs, utricle and saccule, sense?
Acceleration in horizontal and vertical planes
What is the leans illusion?
Feeling that the aircraft is banked in the opposite direction after leveling the wings following a prolonged turn
What causes the Coriolis Illusion?
Fluid in the ear canal moves at the same speed as the canal during a prolonged turn
A head movement on a different plane causes the fluid to start moving, resulting in a false sensation.
Describe the Graveyard Spiral illusion.
A pilot may feel not turning, then feel turning in the opposite direction, leading to a loss of altitude
What is the Somatogravic Illusion?
Rapid acceleration creates the illusion of a higher pitch angle; deceleration creates the opposite illusion
What triggers the Inversion Illusion?
Abrupt change from climb to straight and level flight may create the illusion of tumbling backwards
What is the Elevator Illusion?
An abrupt upward vertical acceleration may create the illusion of climbing
What is the False Horizon illusion?
Misidentification of the horizon line due to various visual factors
Factors include sloping cloud formation, obscured horizon, and ground geometry.
What is Autokinesis?
Staring at a stationary point of light may cause it to appear to be moving
What is the Runway Width Illusion?
A narrow runway may make the pilot feel the airplane is too high, while a wide runway may make it seem too low
What does the Runway and Terrain Slope Illusion cause?
An up-sloping terrain or runway may give the illusion of being higher than actual altitude
What is the Featureless Terrain Illusion?
Flying over dark or featureless terrain can give the illusion of being at a higher altitude
What effect does Water Refraction have on perception?
Causes the horizon to seem lower, making the aircraft appear higher than it is
What is the impact of Haze during an approach?
Gives the illusion that the runway is further away or that the airplane is higher than it actually is
What effect does Fog have on flight perception?
Creates an illusion of nose-up motion
What is the Ground Lighting Illusion?
Lights along straight paths can be mistaken for runway lights, leading to misjudgment of distance
What conditions create Radiation fog?
Occurs during calm, clear nights when the ground cools rapidly
What causes Advection fog?
Warm, moist air moves over a cold surface
Winds are required for advection fog to form.
What is Ice fog?
Forms when temperature is below freezing and water vapor turns directly into ice crystals
How does Upslope fog form?
Moist, stable air is forced up a terrain slope and cooled to its dew point
What is Steam fog?
Forms when cold, dry air moves over warm water, adding moisture to the airmass
