Articles | Index

Sleep 2010-03-18
The most common cause of diminished alertness and proficiency is lack of sleep. This condition is said to affect 30% of the U.S. population. This may be due to an actual loss of sleep or a change in a sleep pattern called the circadian rhythm. Pilots tend to neglect their need for sleep. The need for sleep is a defining limit to pilot mental capability. You must have sleep or your mind will fail. Once beyond the limit pilot performance deteriorates and can become irrational. Sleep is a restorative and can be both stored and deprived within limits set by the biological clock of the individual. As you grow older you will need less sleep. Jet lag sleep patterns are worse when flying from west to east. Accident rates climb precipitously when your body begins demanding sleep. The average American gets about one hour too little sleep each night. Accident rates rise in the afternoon and become significant at night. Postponing sleep causes a sleep deficit that as it increases an accident becomes more likely. Jet lag is a type of sleep deficit. A sleep deficit can best be resolved by going to bed early, not by sleeping late. A large deficit cannot be made up in one night. 21% of aircraft accidents cite sleep deficiency as a factor. When drowsiness occurs you cease to monitor the instruments. You will tend to fixate and drift off mentally. We go into a mental autopilot not thinking of what we are doing. This is the lowest level of alertness. The next level of alertness is one in which you are in constant search-and-scan, seeing what you are looking at, hearing what is said and asking question. This is the flying" mode from pre-flight to shutdown. This gradual deterioration of alertness is best observed in watching others. It can creep up on you and influence your flying without your even noticing. Your alertness rises again when you have located a problem. You focus on it and prepare to execute a solution. This might occur when required to make a crosswind landing. The highest level of alertness is when adrenaline begins to flow and survival becomes a factor. Comment		External Links  Recent articles Not Making Progress? P I doubt that there is a pilot flying who has not at one time or another felt the twinge of doubt that his learning curve is not... 1998 Statistics li B Over 20 of all G A fatal accidents had weather as contributing factor BR ... Weather Accidents 1 Ice accidents: One per year in California Indiana is worst with almost 2 a year 4 of the 5 California accidents occurred between... Gaining Experience P Once reasonable proficiency in the four basics and landing procedures has been acquired it is important that the instructor provide variations such as are likely to... Smoking 1 A smoker of 1 and 1 2 packs a day will ingest into his lungs a radiation level of 8000 millirem just from cigarettes ... Instructional Safety When teaching the safest possible flight operations you can show a student how poor decisions doing the same maneuvers could be proportionately more dangerous ... Trim Use P Correct use of the trim requires that control pressures be applied to hold the desired flight attitude Then the trim is adjusted to relieve present control... Learning To Fly P There is no single way to get a pilot license Getting it is faster and cheaper if training is done consistently with the same aircraft and... Prohibited Areas Don #146;t fly here ever White House Personal residence of President Area within 5 miles of president is prohibited airspace at any time Some prohibited... My Kind of Student P I want a student who responds enjoys and pays attention I enjoy sharing my love of flying with someone I often share too... First Flight Preparations P 1 Schedule aircraft instructor BR 2 Aircraft keys BR 3 Read Owner #39;s Manual BR 4 ... Rectangular Patterns P Under calm conditions almost any rectangle can be used If there is a wind the longest leg of the rectangles should be planned to be... Commitment to Flying ol li You must be able to give priority to the time and energy required for learning to fly If you can #39;t... Holding Headings A pilot not a student is expected to hold a heading The PTS allows a 10 degree or 20 degree range It... Bits and Pieces ul li Tolerance to lack of oxygen decreases proportionately with age BR li Patience... About Questions P A friend was hauling a body from a remote location in Canada Only a caretaker was around the strip After considering the trees that lined... Self-Doubt is Normal P Every so often the instructor finds a student who is going through a phase of flying that is very disturbing to the student A student may... Engine Failure Accidents ul li 22 of all accidents BR li 4 only partial failure BR li... Taxiing Brake check speed control BR Knows and obeys signs lines and lights BR Speed and yoke positions for wind BR ... Where's The Problem? When an instructor becomes upset over a student #39;s performance the student could well consider that the problem lies with the instructor An... Post-Landing P Once on the ground Do not relax Hold the yoke back and properly positioned for taxi For any turns off the runway the yoke should... Decisions, Decisions, Decisions P Even the best instruction will not suffice if the student does not show good judgment The student must always be making a series of judgmental decisions... Medicine P Any over the counter medication whose name ends in quot;ine quot; should be checked in a flight medical examiner for use before flying Beware of... Way To Go... The pole star was recognized by the ancients as being a constant reference for determining direction The Norsemen in the 11th century used a needle of magnetic ... Pre-start/Start Checklist P Once in the aircraft we begin the pre start tape recording Seats doors window open belts FAR 91 107 requires the pilot ... Alcohol 1 In accidents from #39;78 to #39;87 6 of G A pilots had blood alcohol level of at least 04 by weight... Landings on Final Over the fence Vref U U 5 knots or 1 2 Vso No exact POH figures BR B Soft field Approach... Downwind Takeoff P demonstration BR At controlled airports the non assertive pilot just goes where he is told to go There are occasions where for convenience... Good Judgement font size 1 color 339966 b Good Judgement b font br P Even the best instruction will not suffice if the... A History of Measurement Under the Roman Empire Rome became the center of the western world All roads led to Rome and all distances were measured from Rome The distances... Area Familiarization P I have instructed at a largely general aviation airport CCR with two sets of dual runways This has been fortunate because the potential complexity... Pilotage and Dead Reckoning Course within 3 nautical miles BR Altitude U U 200í BR Arrival within 5 minutes BR Heading within 15 degrees... Pre-takeoff Uses checklist BR Takeoff configuration BR Radio use and acknowledgments and compliance BR Clearing approach ... Planned Instruction The military is a leading exponent of programmed instruction Under such a program every thing in the future is based upon the building blocks... Military Instruction Instruction that uses the stair step approach is predicated on the absence of surprises A military preflight can take hours In my own... Aircraft Logbooks Maintenance records of aircraft and engine must be available to the examiner FAR 91 3 The pilot must be able to explain and interpret all of the maintenance records ... Cold Weather P Hot or cold temperatures affect the quality of the preflight In the winter as your body cools you tend to mentally and physically slow down... Ground Radio to Taxi P Never transmit on the radio without practicing what to say while holding the microphone to your lips It does no good to practice without the microphone... Self-Doubt is Normal B Every so often the instructor finds a student who is going through a phase of flying that is very disturbing to the student... Airworthiness Directives (ADs) P FAR 91 403 a requires that an AD compliance record be kept Some AD are one time and others recurring They notify aircraft owners... Introduction to Illusions P What ever the illusion it will take a few moments for you to get reoriented If the illusion occurs in trimmed flight the problem is... Factors in Successful Learning P B 1 Time of year B BR Summer flying gives longer days but does not provide the most desirable range of experience... Shoulder Harness 1 As of 1975 4 out of every 5 people ever killed in airplanes since the Wright brothers would have been alive if they had been ... Spiral Descents P This particular maneuver is the most difficult of the ground reference maneuvers It requires that the student descend over a selected point such as the... Nutrition P Food when converted into glucose is the source of brain energy Glucose cannot be stored As blood sugar it requires constant renewal If glucose... Associated Airport (Two Mile final into CCR 19R) Clyde as it exists now is two small rows of homes along one side of a railroad spur track and Port Chicago Highway I was once... Dealing with Delays One of the advantages of learning to fly in the fall is the greater probability of weather delays A pilot learns to live with and accept delays of any kind... Trimming Cessnas (instructor notes) P Cessna has engineered its trim so that certain changes in trim can be anticipated to correspond to flight path changes in different models For example ... Restricted Areas P You should determine if area is quot;hot quot; or in use Hazardous area usually due to military firing bombs explosive missile activity... Sequence of Decision for Airworthiness Is it required by FAR 91 2095 or 91 213 d 2 ii BR I If not I Is it required...  Related Links
©2010 4VFR.COM, All Rights Reserved	Powered by 4vfr.com