Private Pilot – Human Performance

1. Which statement best defines hypoxia?

A. A state of oxygen deficiency in the body.
B. An abnormal increase in the volume of air breathed.
C. A condition of gas bubble formation around the joints or muscles.

2. Rapid or extra deep breathing while using oxygen can cause a condition known as
A. hyperventilation.
B. aerosinusitis.
C. aerotitis.

3. Which would most likely result in hyperventilation?

A. Emotional tension, anxiety, or fear.
B. The excessive consumption of alcohol.
C. An extremely slow rate of breathing and insufficient oxygen.

4. A pilot should be able to overcome the symptoms or avoid future occurrences of hyperventilation by
A. closely monitoring the flight instruments to control the airplane.
B. slowing the breathing rate, breathing into a bag, or talking aloud.
C. increasing the breathing rate in order to increase lung ventilation.

5. Pilots are more subject to spatial disorientation if

A. they ignore the sensations of muscles and inner ear.
B. body signals are used to interpret flight attitude.
C. eyes are moved often in the process of cross-checking the flight instruments.

6. If a pilot experiences spatial disorientation during flight in a restricted visibility condition, the best way
to overcome the effect is to
A. rely upon the aircraft instrument indications.
B. concentrate on yaw, pitch, and roll sensations.
C. consciously slow the breathing rate until symptoms clear and then resume normal breathing rate.

7. The danger of spatial disorientation during flight in poor visual conditions may be reduced by
A. shifting the eyes quickly between the exterior visual field and the instrument panel.
B. having faith in the instruments rather than taking a chance on the sensory organs.
C. leaning the body in the opposite direction of the motion of the aircraft.

8. A state of temporary confusion resulting from misleading information being sent to the brain by
various sensory organs is defined as
A. spatial disorientation.
B. hyperventilation.
C. hypoxia.
9. Which technique should a pilot use to scan for traffic to the right and left during straight-and-level
flight?
A. Systematically focus on different segments of the sky for short intervals.
B. Concentrate on relative movement detected in the peripheral vision area.
C. Continuous sweeping of the windshield from right to left.

10. What effect does haze have on the ability to see traffic or terrain features during flight?
A. Haze causes the eyes to focus at infinity.
B. The eyes tend to overwork in haze and do not detect relative movement easily.
C. All traffic or terrain features appear to be farther away than their actual distance.

11. What preparation should a pilot make to adapt the eyes for night flying?
A. Wear sunglasses after sunset until ready for flight.
B. Avoid red lights at least 30 minutes before the flight.
C. Avoid bright white lights at least 30 minutes before the flight.

12. What is the most effective way to use the eyes during night flight?
A. Look only at far away, dim lights.
B. Scan slowly to permit offcenter viewing.
C. Concentrate directly on each object for a few seconds.

13. The best method to use when looking for other traffic at night is to
A. look to the side of the object and scan slowly.
B. scan the visual field very rapidly.
C. look to the side of the object and scan rapidly.

14. Large accumulations of carbon monoxide in the human body result in

A. tightness across the forehead.
B. loss of muscular power.
C. an increased sense of well-being.

15. Susceptibility to carbon monoxide poisoning increases as

A. altitude increases.
B. altitude decreases.
C. air pressure increases.

16. What is it often called when a pilot pushes his or her capabilities and the aircraft's limits by trying to
maintain visual contact with the terrain in low visibility and ceiling?
A. Scud running.
B. Mind set.
C. Peer pressure.

17. What often leads to spatial disorientation or collision with ground/obstacles when flying under
Visual Flight Rules (VFR)?
A. Continual flight into instrument conditions.
B. Getting behind the aircraft.
C. Duck-under syndrome.
18. What is one of the neglected items when a pilot relies on short and long term memory for repetitive
tasks?
A. Checklists.
B. Situation awareness.
C. Flying outside the envelope.
19. What is the antidote when a pilot has a hazardous attitude, such as "Antiauthority"?
A. Rules do not apply in this situation.
B. I know what I am doing.
C. Follow the rules.

20. What is the antidote when a pilot has a hazardous attitude, such as "Impulsivity"?
A. It could happen to me.
B. Do it quickly to get it over with.
C. Not so fast, think first.

21. What is the antidote when a pilot has a hazardous attitude, such as "Invulnerability"?
A. It will not happen to me.
B. It can not be that bad.
C. It could happen to me.

22. What is the antidote when a pilot has a hazardous attitude, such as "Macho"?
A. I can do it.
B. Taking chances is foolish.
C. Nothing will happen.

23. What is the antidote when a pilot has a hazardous attitude, such as "Resignation"?
A. What is the use.
B. Someone else is responsible.
C. I am not helpless.

24. Who is responsible for determining whether a pilot is fit to fly for a particular flight, even though he
or she holds a current medical certificate?
A. The CAAP.
B. The medical examiner.
C. The pilot.

25. What is the one common factor which affects most preventable accidents?
A. Structural failure.
B. Mechanical malfunction.
C. Human error.
Private Pilot – Aermedical Factors Answer Key

[1] Answer (A) is correct. Hypoxia is oxygen deficiency in the bloodstream and may cause lack of clear
thinking, fatigue, euphoria and, shortly thereafter, unconsciousness.
[2] Answer (A) is correct. Hyperventilation occurs when an excessive amount of carbon dioxide is passed
out of the body and too much oxygen is retained. This occurs when breathing rapidly, and especially
when using oxygen.
[3] Answer (A) is correct. Hyperventilation usually occurs when one becomes excited or undergoes
stress, which results in an increase in one's rate of breathing.
[4] Answer (B) is correct. To recover from hyperventilation, the pilot should slow the breathing rate,
breathe into a bag, or talk aloud.
[5] Answer (B) is correct. Spatial disorientation is a state of temporary confusion resulting from
misleading information being sent to the brain by various sensory organs. Thus the pilot should ignore
sensations of muscles and inner ear and kinesthetic senses (those which sense motion).
[6] Answer (A) is correct. The best way to overcome the effects of spatial disorientation is to rely entirely
on the aircraft's instrument indications and not upon body sensations. Sight of the horizon also
overrides inner ear sensations. Thus, in areas of poor visibility, especially, such bodily signals should be
ignored.
[7] Answer (B) is correct. Various complex motions and forces and certain visual scenes encountered in
flight can create illusions of motion and position. Spatial disorientation from these illusions can be
prevented only by visual reference to reliable fixed points on the ground and horizon or to flight
instruments.
[8] Answer (A) is correct. A state of temporary confusion resulting from misleading information being
sent to the brain by various sensory organs is defined as vertigo (spatial disorientation). Put simply, the
pilot cannot determine his/her relationship to the earth's horizon.
[9] Answer (A) is correct. Due to the fact that eyes can focus only on a narrow viewing area, effective
scanning is accomplished with a series of short, regularly spaced eye movements that bring successive
areas of the sky into the central vision field.
[10] Answer (C) is correct. Atmospheric haze can create the illusion of being at a greater distance from
traffic or terrain than you actually are. This is especially prevalent on landings.
[11] Answer (C) is correct. Prepare for night flying by letting your eyes adapt to darkness, including
avoiding bright white light for at least 30 min. prior to night flight.
[12] Answer (B) is correct. Physiologically, the eyes are most effective at seeing objects off-center at
night. Accordingly, pilots should scan slowly to permit off-center viewing.
[13] Answer (A) is correct. Physiologically, the eyes are most effective at seeing objects off-center at
night. Accordingly, pilots should scan slowly to permit off-center viewing.
[14] Answer (B) is correct. Carbon monoxide reduces the ability of the blood to carry oxygen. Large
accumulations result in loss of muscular power.
[15] Answer (A) is correct. Carbon monoxide poisoning results in an oxygen deficiency. Since there is less
oxygen available at higher altitudes, carbon monoxide poisoning can occur with lesser amounts of
carbon monoxide as altitude increases.
[16] Answer (A) is correct. Scud running refers to a pilot's pushing his/her capabilities and the aircraft's
limits by trying to maintain visual contact with the terrain while flying with a low visibility or ceiling. Scud
running is a dangerous (and often illegal) practice that may lead to a mishap. This dangerous tendency
must be identified and eliminated.
[17] Answer (A) is correct. Continuing VFR flight into instrument conditions often leads to spatial
disorientation or collision with ground/obstacles due to the loss of outside visual references. It is even
more dangerous if the pilot is not instrument qualified or current.
[18] Answer (A) is correct. Neglect of checklists, flight planning, preflight inspections, etc., is an
indication of a pilot's unjustified reliance on his/her short- and long-term memory for repetitive flying
tasks.
[19] Answer (C) is correct. When you recognize a hazardous thought, you should correct it by stating the
corresponding antidote. The antidote for the antiauthority ("Do not tell me!") hazardous attitude is
"Follow the rules; they are usually right."
[20] Answer (C) is correct. When you recognize a hazardous thought, you should correct it by stating the
corresponding antidote. The antidote for the impulsivity ("Do something quickly!") hazardous attitude is
"Not so fast, think first."
[21]Answer (C) is correct. When you recognize a hazardous thought, you should correct it by stating the
corresponding antidote. The antidote for the invulnerability ("It will not happen to me") hazardous
attitude is "It could happen to me.
[22] Answer (B) is correct. When you recognize a hazardous thought, you should correct it by stating the
corresponding antidote. The antidote for the macho ("I can do it") hazardous attitude is "Taking chances
is foolish."
[23] Answer (C) is correct. When you recognize a hazardous thought, you should correct it by stating the
corresponding antidote. The antidote for the resignation ("What is the use?") hazardous attitude is "I am
not helpless. I can make a difference."
[24] Answer (C) is correct. A number of factors, from lack of sleep to an illness, can reduce a pilot's
fitness to make a particular flight. It is the responsibility of the pilot to determine whether (s)he is fit to
make a particular flight, even though (s)he holds a current medical certificate. Additionally, FAR 61.53
prohibits a pilot who possesses a current medical certificate from acting as pilot in command, or in any
other capacity as a required pilot flight crewmember, while the pilot has a known medical condition or
an aggravation of a known medical condition that would make the pilot unable to meet the standards
for a medical certificate.
[25] Answer (C) is correct. Most preventable accidents, such as fuel starvation or exhaustion, VFR flight
into IFR conditions leading to disorientation, and flight into known icing, have one common factor:
human error. Pilots who are involved in accidents usually know what went wrong. In the interest of
expediency, cost savings, or other often irrelevant factors, the wrong course of action (decision) was
chosen.