Orientation and disorientation in aviation

Abstract

On the ground, the essential requirement to remain orientated is a largely unconscious activity. In flight, orientation requires a conscious effort by the pilot particularly when the visual environment becomes degraded and a deceptive force environment becomes the frame of reference. Furthermore, an unusual force environment can determine the apparent location of objects within a limited visual scene, sometimes with disastrous consequences. This review outlines the sources of pilot disorientation that arise from the visual and force environment of flight and their interaction. It challenges the value of the traditional illusion-based approach to the subject both to aircrew and to surveys of disorientation. Also, it questions the emphasis on the shortcomings of vestibular function as the physiological basis for disorientation. While military accidents from all causes have shown a decline, there has been no corresponding reduction in accidents involving disorientation, 85% of which are the results of unrecognised disorientation. This finding has implications for the way in which pilots are taught about disorientation in the interest of enhanced flight safety. It argues for a greater use of conventional fixed base simulators to create disorientating scenarios rather than complex motion devices to create unusual sensations.

Neurobiological differences in mental rotation and instrument interpretation in airline pilots

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In diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas, non-coding RNA expression is significantly varied dependent on overall survival

“…Exosomal RNA SNORA22 has been shown to be overexpressed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) (8). In a study of prostate cancer xenografts, SNORA22 was discovered to be expressed differently in metastatic and non-metastatic xenografts (9). Breast cancer (10), ovarian cancer (11), gastric cancer (12), and hepatocellular carcinoma ( 12) have all been linked to miR939 (13).…”

ZFX expression is connected with improved survival in patients with breast cancer

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