Human Performance and Limitations
The human as a system component
Human performance covers physiology, psychology and ergonomics. Know hypoxia, hyperventilation, spatial disorientation, illusions (somatogravic, somatogyral, Coriolis), and the effects of vibration and noise on helicopter crews. Understand the vestibular system: the semicircular canals sense rotation, the otolith organs sense linear acceleration and gravity, and both can mislead you in flight. Helicopter vibration and low-level work increase fatigue and disorientation risk.
Decision-making and crew resource management
Know the hazardous attitudes (anti-authority, impulsivity, invulnerability, machismo, resignation) and their antidotes. Understand situational awareness, the error chain, and the difference between a slip, a mistake and a violation. Learn the IMSAFE checklist and the PAVE framework. Understand stress, fatigue, circadian rhythm and the effects of alcohol, drugs and medication.
Traps in questions
Questions often describe a pilot who feels "the aircraft is turning" without instruments: the correct answer is usually spatial disorientation, and the remedy is to trust the instruments and avoid abrupt head movements. Another trap is confusing hypoxia symptoms (euphoria, poor judgement) with hyperventilation (dizziness, tingling). Watch for questions that ask for the first action, not the best action.
Worked example
Rule of thumb: a pilot who has been awake for 17 hours performs roughly as if with a blood alcohol level near the legal limit. If a question describes a long duty day followed by a difficult approach, the expected answer involves fatigue and degraded decision-making, not a technical failure.