Human Performance & Limitations

The foreword, how to use this book, and the full table of contents.

What Human Performance & Limitations is and why it's examined, why the human element fails, the SHELL model of the pilot-system interface, the Dirty Dozen — twelve common precursors to error, and self-check memory aids.

The atmosphere's composition and layers, the gas laws (Boyle's, Dalton's, Henry's), and how pressure and temperature vary with altitude.

Partial pressure of oxygen and the effects of increasing altitude, the physiological zones of the atmosphere, and self-check memory aids.

The brain and the nervous system — structure and function relevant to pilot performance.

The respiratory system, the circulatory system, blood pressure, and the key numbers to know.

Hypoxia — types, symptoms, stages, and time of useful consciousness.

Carbon monoxide poisoning and hyperventilation — symptoms, and how they mimic hypoxia.

The baroreceptor reflex, the 48-hour blood-donation rule, cabin pressurisation and time of useful consciousness, decompression theory, decompression sickness, and the 24-hour flying-after-diving rule.

Smoking and alcohol — physiological effects and DGCA limits.

Humidity, temperature, vibration, glare and UV radiation in the cabin, in-flight incapacitation, and fits and faints.

The eye — structure and function, and the limitations of visual acuity.

Limitations of the visual system, protection of vision, visual defects, colour vision and colour blindness, and vision versus reaction time.

The ear's two functions and three sections, the middle and inner ear, the Eustachian tube, the audible range of hearing, noise and hearing loss, hearing protection, and the balance mechanism.

Conflicts between the ears and the eyes, illusions and spatial disorientation/vertigo, illusions while taxiing, on take-off, false outside-reference triggers, illusions in the cruise, illusions on approach and landing, protective measures, and air/motion sickness.

Acceleration and G-forces, the effects of increased-G manoeuvres, the DGCA reference figure of 1.41G at 45°, factors affecting G-tolerance, and negative-G/red-out.

Individual physical differences, exercise and weight, nutrition and food hygiene, hypoglycemia, and gastric distress from contaminated food.

Sinus blockage, dental pain (barodontalgia), dehydration, personal hygiene, and common ailments affecting fitness to fly.

Drugs and self-medication, caffeine, anaesthetics and analgesics, hypothermia, toxic hazards, and dangerous cargo.

Introduction to aviation psychology, human error and human reliability, workload, and a functional model of information processing.

Types of memory and sensory memory, anticipation and perception, attention, vigilance and complacency, and motor programmes (the Anderson skill model).

Reflexes, reaction time, surprise and startle, quantitative overload and human reliability, short- and long-term memory, learning/retention/motivation, and experience, response, cognition and hallucination.

Judgment and decision-making, personality/attitude/situational awareness, the mechanics of decision-making, communication and teamwork, automation, human characteristics in cockpit design, and displays and controls.

Stress tolerance, fatigue and arousal, and the well-being of operational personnel.

Body-rhythm disturbance and the circadian cycle, sleep stages (NREM and REM), mental health problems and disorders, and master reference tables and mnemonics.

Quick-reference numbers and mnemonics across the whole subject: atmosphere and altitude, hypoxia/TUC/decompression, poisons and the cabin, vision and hearing, forces and fitness, and psychology.

A 50-question mock exam covering the full syllabus, with worked answers and chapter cross-references.

A glossary of terms used throughout the book, an alphabetical index by chapter, references and further reading, and a word about the author.