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Essay on Visual Cues And Illusions
Introduction
A pilot experiences visual cues and illusions during flight that is known as the spatial disorientation, which is a condition in which, an aircraft pilot's perception of up-and-down does not agree with reality. While it can be brought on by disturbances to or disease within the vestibular system, it is more typically a temporary condition resulting from attempted flight into poor weather conditions with low or no visibility. Under these conditions the pilot may be deprived of an external visual horizon, which is critical to maintaining a correct sense of up and down while flying. (Conejo, R. and C.D. Wickens 1997)
A pilot who enters such conditions will quickly lose his spatial orientation if he does not have training in flying with reference to instruments. Approximately 80% of the private pilots in the United States do not have an instrument rating, and therefore are prohibited from flying in conditions where instrument skills are required. Unfortunately not all pilots abide by this rule, and approximately 40% of the NTSB fatal general aviation accident reports list continuation of flight into conditions for which the pilot was not qualified as either a contributing or proximate cause. (Aretz A. 1988, pp.130-135).
During flight most of the senses are 'fooled' by centrifugal force, and indicate to the brain that 'down' is at the bottom of the cockpit no matter what the actual attitude of the aircraft. Only the inner ear and the visual sense provide data to the contrary. The inner ear contains rotational 'accelerometers,' known as the semicircular canals, which provide information to the lower brain on rotational accelerations in the pitch, roll and yaw axes.
This system is imperfect, and errors develop in the brain's estimate of rate and direction of turn in each axis. Normally these errors....
