Read Chapters 9, 10 and 11. Basic Flight Physiology
Self Imposed Stress
Includes anything and everything that places a strain on an individual's ability to perform at their very best.
If a pilot has any health impairment, the individual may not be able to cope with the stresses placed upon them.
Accident statistics still place 80% of the causes on human factors and at least half of those have no other contributing factors such as weather or maintenance.
Stress is the leading reason for those statistics so why pre-dispose yourself to stress?
As stated in the previous lecture, some stresses are inherent to flying such as aircraft environments and associated noise/vibration or G-forces.
Stress caused by a lack of knowledge or unhealthy lifestyle habits are fully within YOUR control and no excuse can be made if they jeopardize safe operations.
If you have distractions such as financial, marital or work relation problems; you must resolve them to one extent or another prior to flight.
At the very least you need to be able to clear your mind of these problems or DON'T FLY!
Smoking
Obvious health risks - Cancer
Deprivation of oxygen to the heart and the circulatory system
Tar - residue left behind by cigarette smoke
- cancer implications
- prevents natural cleansing action of lungs
Nicotine - effects nerve and muscle tissue
- not totally absorbed which is good
because the nicotine in two cigarettes
is enough to be fatal if injected into
blood stream.
- alters heart and respiratory rates
- possibly decreases body's ability to
adapt to stress
Carbon Monoxide - produced in smoke by incomplete combustion of carbon materials.
CO will combine with hemoglobins hundreds of times more readily than oxygen.
That effectively produces an hypoxic conditions at much lower altitudes than normally encountered.
Effects last several hours after last cigarette was smoked.
You would have to take in 100% O2 for 40 minutes just to get rid of 50% of the CO in the bloodstream.
Non-smokers involuntarily are put at risk by the nearby smoker!
Alcohol Link to article
Contains ethyl alcohol which acts as an anesthetic drug.
Also contains substances that slow the process of detoxifying ethyl alcohol
Effects the brain in 3 ways
1. Changes neurohormones levels
2. Changes ability to utilize oxygen
3. Acts as a relaxant
Concentration in blood and brain depends on 3 factors:
1. Amount consumed
2. Rate of absorption from stomach and small
intestine
3. Rate of body metabolism
Rate of absorption will depend upon:
food in stomach
body hydration
concentration of alcohol
how fast alcohol was consumed
bodyweight
individual tolerances and absorption
characteristics
Time is the ONLY cure!
Chronic effects of alcohol:
Deficiencies in vitamin, mineral and proteins
A fatty liver due to improper diet and direct effects of alcohol
Excess carbohydrates
Cirrhosis of the liver
Alcoholic psychosis
Hangovers - Due to alcohol ingestion
Dehydration is a major factor
Dehydration is worsened by climbing to altitude, breathing aviation oxygen and thermal stress.
Judgment and emotional changes will occur under these conditions. NOT for the better.
Drugs and Self Medication...... Link to Article
DON'T DO IT!
Many over the counter drugs have depressants and are very dangerous for aviators.
Synergistic effects - certain drugs combined with alcohol, stress or decrease in pressure may produce side effects 3-10 times worse than what would normally be anticipated
Idiosyncratic effect - some people have reactions to drugs which are unpredictable/unexpected and specific to that individual only. Do you know what your reaction might be?
2 major dangers of self-medicating
1. You may be masking a symptom which would
ordinarily ground you.
2. You may jeopardize safety of flight.
Psychoactive drugs and illegal drugs
No need to lecture on this --- DON'T!
Several accidents in the last couple of years have involved cocaine use by the pilot and other illegal drugs!!!!
Skipping meals can and will lead to fatigue.
Low glucose or sugar in the blood will decrease efficiency and may lead to weakness and possible fainting.
If overweight - do not take diet pills and fly!
Consult a flight surgeon and get on a low fat diet with an exercise plan. Notice I mentioned low fat, not low calorie. Fasting won't do the trick.