ATPL Human Performance study plan

Build a one-page annotated diagram of the respiratory and circulatory chain from ambient air to tissue cell, labelling where hypoxia, hyperventilation and decompression sickness each intervene

Explain in writing how partial pressure of oxygen falls with altitude and calculate alveolar oxygen pressure for three cabin altitudes using a supplied formula

List the gases dissolved in blood and state the time constants for nitrogen uptake and elimination in slow and fast tissues

Describe the causes, recognition and first-aid management of hypoxia, hyperventilation and carbon monoxide exposure in flight

Differentiate the stages and mechanisms of spatial disorientation, including somatogyral and somatogravic illusions, and match each to the flight condition that provokes it

Summarise the effects of acceleration on vision and consciousness using the concepts of grey-out, black-out and G-LOC

Explain the physiology of night vision, dark adaptation and the correct scanning technique for low light

Outline the health-maintenance topics of dehydration, diet, smoking, alcohol and self-medication as they affect flight fitness

Describe the components of the information-processing model and locate where attention, perception, memory and response selection operate

Compare selective and divided attention and give aviation examples of each failing

Explain the multi-store model of memory and why chunking and rehearsal improve recall of frequencies and clearances

Identify the main perceptual biases that distort instrument and visual interpretation

Describe how motivation and arousal interact with performance using the Yerkes-Dodson relationship

Classify errors using a slip, lapse, mistake and violation taxonomy and apply it to ten short scenarios

Explain the SHELL and Swiss-cheese models and state how latent conditions differ from active failures

Describe the components of situational awareness and the three levels of its loss

Identify the perceptual mechanisms that produce expectation bias and confirmation bias in the cockpit

Outline the principles of threat and error management as a countermeasure framework

Describe the two-process model of sleep regulation and the structure of a normal sleep cycle

Explain how circadian rhythm, sleep debt and time-zone crossing combine to produce fatigue

Distinguish fatigue from stress and list the recognised symptoms of each in the operational environment

Evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of countermeasures such as napping, caffeine, controlled rest and roster design

State the regulatory principles of flight-time limitations and rest requirements in general terms

Distinguish acute from chronic stress and identify the physiological and behavioural stress responses

Describe the main coping strategies and classify them as problem-focused or emotion-focused

Explain the communication model and the causes of message loss in radio and crew communication

Describe assertiveness, the gradient of authority and techniques for speaking up in a steep hierarchy

Identify the elements of effective briefings, readback and cross-checking that close the communication loop

Describe the decision-making models used in aviation, including the recognition-primed and analytical approaches, and state when each is appropriate

Apply a structured decision tool to three in-flight scenarios and justify each choice

Identify the decision traps of plan continuation, sunk cost and groupthink

Explain the scope of human factors as a discipline and its relationship to safety management

Describe how automation affects decision making, workload and skill degradation

Consolidate all domains through timed mixed-topic practice and record the score per domain

Re-teach the three weakest domains from memory without notes and correct the gaps found

Revisit every previously missed item and state the underlying principle rather than the answer

Assemble a one-page rapid-recall sheet of key numbers, models and definitions

Simulate exam conditions with a full timed paper and review every error