ABSTRACT
The evolution of man saw him develop over millions of years as an aquatic, terrestrial, and even arboreal creature, but never an aerial one. In this development, he subjected himself to and was subjected to many varieties of transient motions, but not to the relatively sustained linear and angular accelerations commonly experienced in aviation. As a result, man acquired sensory systems well suited for maneuvering under his own power on the surface of the earth but poorly suited for flying … it should come as no surprise that his sudden entry into the aerial environment resulted in a mismatch between the orientational demands of the new environment and his innate ability to orient. The manifestation of this mismatch is spatial disorientation.
