ABSTRACT
Aviation physiology is the study of human systems' integrated functions and the processes by which they maintain the body functions—how the body and mind work in the flying environment. This chapter addresses the various physiological factors that can degrade the mental and physical performance of pilots, and countermeasures to those factors. It also examines some studies that illustrate the effects of alcohol on performance by pilots, beginning with a study by Billings, in which 16 instrument-rated pilots flew instrument landing system (ILS) approaches at night in a light plane with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels ranging from 0" to 0.12" BAC. Hypoxic Hypoxia is the hypoxia typically associated with high altitude flight. There are four stages of hypoxic hypoxia: indifferent, compensatory, disturbance, and critical. Although alcohol and illicit drugs, such as marijuana, may play a role in some accidents, there are many drugs, available on prescription or over-the-counter, that can have debilitating effects on pilot performance.
