2025 Human Factors Syllabus

Describe key features of good and safe airmanship. (10.2.2)

Good airmanship means being safe, sensible, calm, skilled, reliable, and professional in the air.

Extended Meaning:

Airmanship is showing common sense, good aviation practices, and high standards in the air.

A pilot with good airmanship is:

• Safe and dependable

• Consistent and accurate

• Knowledgeable and confident, but not overconfident

• Calm, rational, and not easily stressed

• A good communicator

• Reliable and punctual

• Flexible and able to think ahead

• Able to behave in a way that gives crew and passengers confidence

Poor airmanship includes:

• Being careless, erratic, or impulsive

• Showing off or being arrogant

• Being complacent or overconfident

• Being rigid of thought or timid

• Communicating poorly

• Not thinking ahead

• Being rough on aircraft or equipment

• Substance abuse or unsafe behaviour outside aviation, such as dangerous driving

Define human factors as used in an aviation context. (10.4.2)

Explain the role of human factors programmes in promoting aviation safety. (10.4.4)

State the gases that make up the atmosphere. (10.6.2)

Main constituents are Oxygen (21%) and Nitrogen (78%)

Describe the variation of pressure as altitude increases. (10.6.4)

Describe the basic anatomy of the respiratory system. (10.8.2)

Describe the physiology of the respiratory system. (10.8.4)

Describe the basic anatomy of the circulatory system. (10.8.6)

Describe the physiology of the circulatory system. (10.8.8)

Describe the role of the lungs in oxygen and carbon dioxide transfer. (10.8.10)

Define hypoxia. (10.10.2)

State the partial pressure of oxygen both inside and outside the lungs at sea level. (10.10.4)

Explain the mechanical effect of the partial pressure of oxygen on oxygen transfer in the lungs. (10.10.6)

Explain the causes of hypoxia. (10.10.8)

Describe the common symptoms of hypoxia. (10.10.10)

Explain the reasons hypoxia symptoms are difficult to detect. (10.10.12)

Explain the relationship between hypoxic onset and both vision and cognitive performance. (10.10.14)

Describe how hypoxia can be prevented. (10.10.16)

State the factors that affect the likelihood of suffering from hypoxia. (10.10.18)

Describe how hypoxia can be treated. (10.10.20)

Define hyperventilation. (10.12.2)

Explain the causes of hyperventilation. (10.12.4)

Describe the symptoms of hyperventilation. (10.12.6)

Describe how hyperventilation can be treated. (10.12.8)

Describe the differences between hyperventilation and hypoxia. (10.12.10)

Define barotrauma. (10.14.2)

Explain the causes of barotrauma. (10.14.4)

Describe the symptoms of barotrauma. (10.14.6)

Describe the effects of barotrauma on the various parts of the body. (10.14.8)

Define decompression sickness. (10.16.2)

Explain the causes of decompression sickness. (10.16.4)

Describe the symptoms of decompression sickness. (10.16.6)

Explain how decompression sickness can be prevented. (10.16.8)

Describe how decompression sickness can be treated. (10.16.10)

Explain the dangers of flying after diving. (10.16.12)

Identify the following eye structure components: lens, cornea, retina, fovea, optic nerve disc, cone cells, and rod cells. (10.18.2)

Distinguish between rod and cone cell functions and distribution in the retina. (10.18.4)

Describe the limitations of the eye in terms of the ability to discern objects at night, the ability to discern objects in daylight including wires and other aircraft, poor lighting, glare, lack of contrast, the blind spot, and colour perception. (10.18.6)

Explain the process of dark adaptation. (10.18.8)

State the normal time for full night vision adaptation. (10.18.10)

Identify precautionary actions to protect night vision adaptation. (10.18.12)

Describe the factors associated with the selection of suitable sunglasses for flying. (10.18.14)

Describe the visual system resting state focus and its effects on object detection. (10.18.16)

Explain effective visual search techniques. (10.18.18)

Explain the see and avoid method of avoiding mid-air collisions. (10.18.20)

Explain the use of visual cues during landing. (10.18.22)

Explain the following visual illusions: autokinesis, stroboscopic illumination illusion/flicker vertigo, the break-off phenomenon, and the black hole phenomenon. (10.18.24)

Describe methods of avoiding and/or coping with autokinesis, stroboscopic illumination illusion/flicker vertigo, the break-off phenomenon, and the black hole phenomenon. (10.18.26)

Describe conditions which can lead to the creation of a false horizon. (10.18.28)

Explain the effect of a false horizon on visual perception. (10.18.30)

Explain relative motion. (10.18.32)

Explain the effect of fog, haze, and/or dust on visual perception. (10.18.34)

Describe the optical characteristics of the windshield. (10.18.36)

Explain the effect of sloping terrain on visual perception. (10.18.38)

Explain the effect of the following factors on visual perception during the following approach situations: steep/shallow approach angles, length, width and texture of the runway, and the intensity of the approach lights. (10.18.40)

Describe the basic anatomy of the ear. (10.20.2)

Describe the physiology of the ear. (10.20.4)

Describe the effect of prolonged noise exposure on hearing. (10.20.6)

Describe methods of protecting hearing. (10.20.8)

Explain the effects of age induced hearing loss (presbycusis). (10.20.10)

Explain the effects of pressure changes on the middle ear and eustachian tubes. (10.20.12)

Explain the effects of colds; hay fever; and/or allergies on the sinuses and eustachian tubes. (10.20.14)

Define spatial orientation. (10.22.2)

Define disorientation. (10.22.4)

Outline the basic anatomy of the motion, orientation and gravitational sensory organs, including the semi-circular canals and vestibular sac/tubes. (10.22.6)

Outline the physiology of the motion, orientation and gravitational sensory organs, including the semi-circular canals and vestibular sac/tubes. (10.22.8)

Explain the interconnection between the visual and kinaesthetic senses in maintaining accurate spatial orientation. (10.22.10)

Explain the body’s limitations in maintaining spatial orientation when vision is adversely affected. (10.22.12)

Explain the effects of the following spatial illusions: the leans and sub-threshold stimulation, somatogravic illusion, somatogyral illusion, cross coupled turning (Coriolis effect), and pressure vertigo. (10.22.14)

Explain how disorientation can be prevented. (10.22.16)

Explain the effects of positive and negative accelerations on the circulatory system, vision, and consciousness. (10.24.2)

Explain the causes and symptoms of black-out. (10.24.4)

Explain the causes and symptoms of red-out. (10.24.6)

Explain the causes of motion sickness. (10.26.2)

Describe how motion sickness can be prevented. (10.26.4)

Describe how motion sickness can be treated. (10.26.6)

Explain the causes of flight anxiety. (10.28.2)

Recognise the signs of flight anxiety in passengers. (10.28.4)

Describe how flight anxiety can be prevented. (10.28.6)

Describe the term fitness to fly. (10.30.2)

Explain the responsibilities of pilots towards medical fitness for flight. (10.30.4)

Explain the responsibilities of pilots operating on a Land Transport medical with regard to a known change in medical condition. (10.30.5)

Identify symptoms and circumstances that would lead you to consult your aviation medical examiner prior to further flight. (10.30.6)

Describe the IMSAFE method of assessing fitness for flight. (10.30.8)

Describe the problems associated with pregnancy and flying. (10.30.10)

With regard to the following factors, describe their effects on pilot performance and methods by which they may be minimised/managed: arterial disease, blood pressure, diet, exercise, obesity, smoking, respiratory tract infection/allergies including colds, sinus, hay fever, influenza and asthma, food poisoning and gastroenteritis, neurological factors including fits/epilepsy, brain injury, fainting, headaches and migraines, emotional factors including depression and anxiety, and dehydration. (10.30.12)

Explain the effects of alcohol on pilot performance. (10.32.2)

• Classification: Central Nervous System (CNS) depressant.

• Access: Highly fat-soluble, allowing it to rapidly enter the fat-rich brain tissue.

• Core Effects:

  • Cognitive: Impairs judgment and decision-making, directly leading to disinhibiting behavior (loss of behavioral filters).

  • Physical: Impairs balance.

Explain the restriction associated with the consumption of alcohol and flying. (10.32.4)

• The Baseline Minimum: A strict minimum of 10 to 12 hours must pass between the very last sip of alcohol and flying. This applies even if you only had one or two drinks. There are zero exceptions to this window.

• The Hangover Rule: Time elapsed isn't the only metric. If the 10-hour mark has passed but you still feel hungover, you cannot fly. Hangover effects from heavy drinking can easily impair performance for 48 hours or more, even after the alcohol is completely out of your bloodstream.

• The Safety Margin (Heavy Drinking): Because there are no definitive guidelines for exactly how fast blood alcohol drops to zero, heavy drinking requires extra caution. You must calculate a safety margin by doubling the time it takes for your blood alcohol to hit zero.

Explain the effects of drugs on pilot performance. (10.32.6)

Describe considerations associated with the taking of over the counter medication and flying. (10.32.8)

Explain why illegal/recreational drugs are unacceptable for pilots. (10.32.10)

Describe the effect on the body of donating blood. (10.34.2)

State the recommended time period between the donation of blood and flying. (10.34.4)

Describe the symptoms, effects and immediate treatments for the following hazards present in the aviation environment: carbon monoxide, fuel, lubricating oils, and hydraulic fluids. (10.36.2)

State the source of carbon monoxide poisoning in general aviation aircraft. (10.36.4)

Describe reliable methods for the detection of carbon monoxide. (10.36.6)

Describe methods of eliminating carbon monoxide from the cockpit. (10.36.8)

Define stress. (10.38.2)

Describe a simple model of stress. (10.38.4)

Define arousal. (10.38.6)