ABSTRACT
From the time of the legends of Icarus and Daedalus, people have recognized that the external environment is a critical consideration for flight. The physical combinations and range of atmospheric elements found at sea level are not found at the altitudes that are routine for normal flight. Temperature, atmospheric pressure, vibration and turbulence, noise, ozone concentrations, high altitude ultraviolet radiation, and ionizing radiation are all of concern. Air transport flight takes place in the troposphere, the tropopause and in parts of the stratosphere. The chapter shows the altitude/pressure relationship in the atmosphere. It presents a list of human factor for pilots and human factors in flight. The chapter discusses the basic physiology of human body and its functioning and also includes the problems associated with the flight environment. Physical environmental problems include the possible effects of prolonged exposure to ozone concentrations at subsonic jet levels and to high-altitude ultraviolet and ionizing radiation.
