Human Performance and Limitations
The pilot as a system
Human factors questions test your understanding of perception, decision-making, and physiology in a low-arousal, high-workload environment. Key concepts: the see-and-avoid limitation (the eye's narrow effective field and the saccadic scan), spatial disorientation when visual references are poor, and the difference between skill-based, rule-based, and knowledge-based errors.
Physiology
- Hypoxia: onset subtle; euphoria, poor judgement, and cyanosis. Glider pilots may use oxygen on long high flights.
- Hyperventilation: dizziness, tingling; treat by slowing breathing.
- Cold: impairs dexterity and judgement; dress for the coldest expected altitude.
- Dehydration and fatigue: degrade attention and increase error rates.
- Motion sickness and carbon monoxide from cabin heat sources.
Psychology
Stress, complacency, and get-home-itis drive poor decisions. Recognise the hazardous attitudes - anti-authority, impulsivity, invulnerability, machismo, resignation - and their antidotes. Use decision models (e.g. a simple assess-decide-act loop) and set personal minima before flight.
Traps
Questions blur hypoxia with hyperventilation, or imply that a pilot notices hypoxia early. They also test whether fatigue affects skill or judgement first - judgement usually degrades before motor skill. Another trap: assuming a check ride or recent experience removes complacency risk.
Worked example
Rule of thumb: a pilot who is uncertain should default to the conservative option. If you cannot confirm an outlanding field is safe, choose the alternative with the known outcome - even if it costs the task.