Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Postural Considerations - "Seat of Pants" Sensations

Posture Signals to Flight Attitude

Your skin, joints and muscles all send signals to the brain that interpret them with respect to the Earth's gravitational pull. This updating is on a constant basis.

The "Seat of the pants" flying is dependent upon these signals. The gravitational signals, along with the input from visual and vestibular clues, give a fairly reliable attitude position of your plane. 

If visual input is impaired from the deterioration of flying conditions the present of illusions is magnified. Instrument training is vital to overcome the false attitudes formed from the illusions.

However, because of the forces acting upon the body in certain flight situations, many false sensations can occur due to acceleration forces overpowering gravity. 

These situations include uncoordinated turns, climbing turns, and turbulence. Be aware of how you may react when faced with unusual flying conditions.

If you enjoy roller-coasters, you can experience acceleration forces that overpower gravity in a variety of unusual attitudes of your body.