Human Factors of Flight

Catalog description

The student will explore human physiological processes as affected by flight including high altitude flight, and human cognitive and judgment processes typically required of the human "half" of complex human/machine systems found on flight decks, in air traffic control suites, and in other flight operations contexts, to gain understanding of our unique capabilities and limitations, both as physiological organisms and thinking beings. The student will learn to apply these insights to assessing and improving the performance of flight crews, air traffic controllers, and other operations personnel, and to identify and respond to critical physiological and cognitive factors such as hypoxia, disorientation, and the effects of stress, fatigue, anxiety, and alcohol and other drugs. The student will gain an understanding of medical standards and certification of pilots and other flight personnel, and of available resources for responding to medical deficiencies and/or certification difficulties.