Human Performance and Limitations
The human in the cockpit
Understand hypoxia, hyperventilation, spatial disorientation, fatigue, stress and the effects of alcohol and medication. Helicopter flying demands high workload and vigilance, so fatigue and complacency are major risks. Know the symptoms of hypoxia (euphoria, tingling, impaired judgement) and that time of useful consciousness falls with altitude. Spatial disorientation in IMC without reference to the horizon is a leading cause of fatal accidents; the remedy is to trust the instruments.
Decision making
Crew resource management (CRM) and the decision-making models (e.g. DECIDE, IMSAFE) are examinable. IMSAFE covers Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion. The 'sterile cockpit' concept and the authority gradient are also fair game.
Traps
Questions confuse hypoxia with hyperventilation (hyperventilation causes dizziness and tingling too, but is treated by slowing breathing). Another trap: alcohol is metabolised at a fixed rate and cannot be 'burned off' with coffee or exercise. Watch for items on night vision - vitamin A, dark adaptation time, and the fact that smoking degrades night vision.
Rule of thumb
If you feel unwell or fatigued, the correct answer is almost always 'do not fly' or 'hand over control', not 'push through'.