ASCI 202 Blog 2-4: The Operating Environment and Aircraft Performance

The Operating Environment and Aircraft Performance

For this weeks blog I will discuss the environmental factor of light in night flying. We all know that it is harder to see in the dark than in the daylight. There are a few things that pilots should be aware of when flying during night hours. Although some pilots claim they prefer the night it is important to understand how the human eye works and develop some methods to aid in night flying. Without going into immense detail, the human eye has rods and cones that translate what we see. Each have their own function but understanding how to manipulate them can help the night time pilot. During day light hours, the eye can focus directly ahead and pinpoint the object to be seen. The peripheral vision is used to render the image outside of the target line of sight to gain the full perspective. At night, using this same technique can hinder a pilot due to focused night-blindness (FAA, n.d.). The rods absorb peripheral images and to counter the night-blindness that comes with a pinpointed focus, pilots should allow and trust their eyes to scan around often and use peripheral images to gather the context of the situation (FAA, n.d.). 

Image Retreived on July 13, 2021 from https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flightliteracy.com%2Fnight-vision%2F&psig=AOvVaw19TfCRFfHAYdkQbAGyj6fY&ust=1626379789882000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAoQjRxqFwoTCLjHgv-u4_ECFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ

Some examples of situations of illusions that involve light intensity are:

A narrow runway may make the pilot feel that he is higher than actual and similarly a wider runway may make the pilot feel that they are lower than actual (BoldMethod, 2021). Both can cause difficulty in the approach. 

Flying over complete darkness, such as a body of water, can cause a sense of altitude variance. The pilot may feel that they are higher or lower than actual. Trusting the instruments is key. This same effect can be seen in whiteout conditions where the horizon is hard to find (BoldMethod, 2021). 

Weather like fog, haze, and rain can all play on the senses of the pilots and make it difficult to arcuately asses altitude and speed. Knowing how to react and in these conditions is crucial, especially at night (BoldMethod, 2021).

Runway light intensity themselves may confused a pilot on approach as well. Brighter lights give the impression that you are closer than actual (BoldMethod, 2021). 

Luke

References: 

FAA. (n.d.). Airplane Flying Handbook. Chapter 10: Night Operations. (p10.1-10.4). Retrieved on July 13, 2021 from https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/airplane_handbook/media/12_afh_ch10.pdf

BoldMethod. (February 2, 2021). 8 optical illusions every pilot should understand, and know how to avoid. Retrieved on July 13, 2021 from https://www.boldmethod.com/blog/lists/2021/02/eight-optical-illusions-every-pilot-should-understand/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ASCI 202 Blog 8-2: Air Traffic Control

Image
 Hello Class,  This is a great subject this week and something that I thoroughly enjoy. I have been in the career field of air traffic control since 2010. I started out in the Air Force but now work for a private company. It was great to see the ERAU video on airspace. As a visual learner myself, I wish I had something that profound when I was in training. For this blog I would like to focus on the air traffic control tower and the Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC).  Elmendorf Air Force Base air traffic control tower, JBER, Alaska. 2017 Now, this will be a broad description but the Tower air traffic controllers are responsible for runway separation between arriving and departing aircraft. This separation depends on the category of the aircraft and sometimes the surface condition of the runway. Within the tower, there are generally multiple controllers performing specific duties to their position, working in unison. Clearance Delivery may be present and is...
Read more

ASCI 202 Blog 6-2: Legislative Acts

Image
 For this blog I pondered quite a bit. What is one of the most important legislative acts or Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR)? In my opinion, it would have to do with really anything that governs the rules and regulations over maintenance of an aircraft. I researched an article that pretty much sums up what I am trying to say. FAR 43.12 speaks to deliberate falsification of maintenance records (O'Brien, 2000). Image Retrieved from  https://businessaircraftrecords.org/wp-content/uploads/federal-aviation-regulations-business-jet-aircraft-maintenance-records.jpg Maintainers need to be meticulous, sharp, and consistent. If a shop or even one maintenance person has a bad day, the result can be catastrophic. An example of this would Alaksa Airlines Flight 261 on January 1, 2000 (Guzzetti, 2000). The horizontal stabilizer jackscrew was worn and had end play (Guzzetti, 2000). The lead mechanic two years prior to the incident had notified authorities and ordered it replaced but the ai...
Read more