Human Performance and Limitations
The human in the system
Remote pilots face workload patterns different from those of conventional pilots. Candidates must understand situational awareness, decision-making, attention and vigilance, and how these degrade under fatigue, stress and high workload. Know the signs of fatigue and the effect of circadian rhythm on performance, and understand that the remote pilot may be physically comfortable while mentally saturated.
Concepts to master
Learn the physiology of hypoxia and its relevance at altitude, the effects of dehydration, heat and cold, and the influence of noise and vibration on the ground station. Understand visual illusions relevant to screen-based flying, including loss of depth cues, poor contrast and the difficulty of judging distance and speed on a small display. Know the hazards of spatial disorientation when flying by reference to a camera, and the importance of a visual observer. Understand the role of checklist use, sterile periods and crew coordination in preventing error.
Common traps
Questions often imply that because the pilot is on the ground, fatigue and hypoxia are irrelevant. Another trap is confusing the symptoms of hypoxia with those of hyperventilation. Watch for scenarios where the pilot has been monitoring a screen for a long time and vigilance has decayed.
Rule of thumb
If you notice a loss of situational awareness, stop, stabilise the aircraft and rebuild the picture before continuing. Worked example: a pilot flying a long, uneventful transit on a screen may fail to notice a slow battery decline; a scheduled scan of key parameters every few minutes counteracts this vigilance decrement.