Human Performance and Limitations
Human Performance and Limitations tests how pilots perceive, decide and perform under workload, fatigue, hypoxia and spatial disorientation. Questions often describe a scenario and ask for the safest response, not merely the name of an illusion.
Key limitations
- Hypoxia: reduced oxygen causes euphoria, poor judgement and impaired vision before the pilot notices. Use supplemental oxygen and descend when required.
- Hyperventilation: rapid breathing lowers carbon dioxide and can mimic hypoxia; treat uncertainty as hypoxia first.
- Decompression: slow decompression may present as ear or gut discomfort; rapid decompression causes fogging and temperature shock. Don oxygen masks first, then descend.
- Spatial disorientation: somatogravic illusion during acceleration can feel like a climb; somatogyral illusion follows sustained rotation. Trust the instruments and use a defined recovery scan.
- Fatigue and circadian rhythm degrade vigilance and reaction time. Alcohol, drugs and some medications remain disqualifying or limiting under Kuwait CARs.
Worked example
On a dark-night go-around, acceleration makes the pilot feel the aircraft is pitching up. The correct response is to cross-check attitude, airspeed and vertical speed on the instruments and resist the urge to push the nose down. The illusion is somatogravic, not a real climb.
Traps
Confusing somatogravic with somatogyral; assuming euphoria means the pilot is not hypoxic; treating hyperventilation as harmless without considering hypoxia; and relying on “feel” in IMC.