Thread: Flying lessons
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abisel abisel is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: St. Charles, MO
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I should have been more explicit in my original question. But it did bring up good discussions.

... and Dave brings up a good topic. Spacial Disorientation. This will kill you real fast. Such as what happened the Day the Music Died.

Civil Aeronautics Board Report on the Crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper

Back during my private/instrument/commercial pilot training you will wear an IFR training hood that will limit your vision to only inside the aircraft. The instructor will ask you to close your eyes and look down while he slowly puts the aircraft into an unusual attitude. Then he will say "ok, you have it" and you will have to make corrections to put the aircraft back on a straight and level attitude/airspeed. Your body will tell you everything is ok, but the instruments will tell you something completely different. It may be difficult to make aircraft adjustments when your inner ear is telling you the opposite. Bottom line, trust your instruments.

Here is some interesting stuff on spacial disorientation and sensory illusions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatial_disorientation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_illusions_in_aviation

Last edited by abisel; 10-30-2011 at 09:39 AM..
Old 10-30-2011, 08:19 AM
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