Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Human Factors Lesson Plan

Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) • ACS Area I, Task H

The Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Human Factors Lesson Plan covers the knowledge, risk management, and skills required by FAA-S-ACS-16.

Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Human Factors Lesson Plan

Introduction

  • Attention Getter:

    • Present a realistic commercial helicopter operation in which the outcome depends on sound human factors knowledge, risk management, and technique.
    • Ask the learner to identify the earliest decision or control input that protects the available safety margin.

  • Motivator:

    • To determine the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with personal health, flight physiology, and aeromedical and human factors related to safety of flight.

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Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Human Factors Lesson Plan

Materials

  • Required Materials:

    • FAA-S-ACS-16, Commercial Pilot for Rotorcraft Category Helicopter Rating Airman Certification Standards.
    • Model-specific Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM), approved checklist, and performance data.
    • Student training record and applicable lesson records.

  • Reference Materials:

Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Human Factors Lesson Plan

Instructor Actions

  • State the ACS objective and establish the commercial operating context.
  • Knowledge Elements:
    • Explain, correlate, and assess the learner's understanding of Symptoms, recognition, causes, effects, and corrective actions associated with aeromedical and physiological issues, including: (CH.I.H.K1)
      • Hypoxia (CH.I.H.K1a)
      • Hyperventilation (CH.I.H.K1b)
      • Middle ear and sinus problems (CH.I.H.K1c)
      • Spatial disorientation (CH.I.H.K1d)
      • Motion sickness (CH.I.H.K1e)
      • Carbon monoxide poisoning (CH.I.H.K1f)
      • Stress (CH.I.H.K1g)
      • Fatigue (CH.I.H.K1h)
      • Dehydration and nutrition (CH.I.H.K1i)
      • Hypothermia (CH.I.H.K1j)
      • Optical illusions (CH.I.H.K1k)
      • Dissolved nitrogen in the bloodstream after scuba dives (CH.I.H.K1l)
    • Explain, correlate, and assess the learner's understanding of Regulations regarding use of alcohol and drugs. (CH.I.H.K2)
    • Explain, correlate, and assess the learner's understanding of Effects of alcohol, drugs, and over-the-counter medications. (CH.I.H.K3)
    • Explain, correlate, and assess the learner's understanding of Aeronautical Decision-Making (ADM) to include using Crew Resource Management (CRM) or Single- Pilot Resource Management (SRM), as appropriate. (CH.I.H.K4)
  • Risk Management:
    • Use a commercial helicopter scenario to identify, assess, and mitigate risk associated with Aeromedical and physiological issues. (CH.I.H.R1)
    • Use a commercial helicopter scenario to identify, assess, and mitigate risk associated with Hazardous attitudes. (CH.I.H.R2)
    • Use a commercial helicopter scenario to identify, assess, and mitigate risk associated with Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation. (CH.I.H.R3)
    • Use a commercial helicopter scenario to identify, assess, and mitigate risk associated with Confirmation and expectation bias. (CH.I.H.R4)
  • Skill Development:
    • Demonstrate, coach, and assess the learner's ability to Associate the symptoms and effects for at least three of the conditions listed in K1a through K1l with the cause(s) and corrective action(s). (CH.I.H.S1)
    • Demonstrate, coach, and assess the learner's ability to Perform self-assessment, including fitness for flight and personal minimums, for actual flight or a scenario given by the evaluator. (CH.I.H.S2)
  • Syllabus Objective Coverage:
    • Explain symptoms, recognition, causes, effects, and corrective actions associated with aeromedical and physiological issues.
    • Apply symptoms, recognition, causes, effects, and corrective actions associated with aeromedical and physiological issues to the aircraft, conditions, or flight scenario presented.
    • Explain hypoxia.
      • Define hypoxia and explain why reduced oxygen partial pressure can cause it at altitude.
      • Identify the four types of hypoxia.
      • Explain the causes and mechanism of hypoxic hypoxia.
      • Explain the causes and mechanism of hypemic hypoxia.
      • Explain the causes and mechanism of stagnant hypoxia.
      • Explain the causes and mechanism of histotoxic hypoxia.
      • Recognize signs, symptoms, behavioral changes, and performance effects of hypoxia.
      • Explain factors that increase susceptibility to hypoxia and reduce useful performance time.
      • Select immediate corrective actions when hypoxia is suspected.
      • Distinguish possible hypoxia from hyperventilation while preserving the oxygen-and-descent response when symptoms overlap.
    • Explain hyperventilation.
      • Explain how excessive breathing lowers carbon dioxide and produces hyperventilation symptoms.
      • Recognize hyperventilation symptoms and distinguish them from possible hypoxia without delaying oxygen or descent when hypoxia is possible.
      • Select controlled-breathing, reassurance, workload-reduction, oxygen, descent, and landing actions appropriate to the situation.
    • Explain middle ear and sinus problems.
    • Explain spatial disorientation.
      • Explain how visual, vestibular, and somatosensory conflicts produce spatial disorientation.
      • Recognize common spatial-disorientation illusions and the conditions that provoke them.
      • Prevent and respond to spatial disorientation by using reliable instruments, disciplined control, workload reduction, and timely assistance.
    • Explain motion sickness.
      • Explain the causes, susceptibility factors, signs, and performance effects of motion sickness.
      • Use preparation, ventilation, visual reference, reduced head movement, workload management, and landing decisions to prevent or respond to motion sickness.
    • Explain carbon monoxide poisoning.
      • Explain how carbon monoxide enters the cabin and impairs oxygen transport without reliable color or odor warning.
      • Recognize carbon-monoxide symptoms and use installed detection information appropriately.
      • Select immediate ventilation, heater isolation, oxygen, landing, evacuation, and medical actions for suspected carbon-monoxide exposure.
      • Prevent carbon-monoxide exposure through inspection, maintenance discrepancy reporting, detector use, and heater or ventilation awareness.
    • Explain stress.
      • Recognize operational sources and signs of acute and cumulative stress.
      • Explain how excessive stress affects attention, workload, judgment, and decision-making.
      • Apply workload reduction, personal minimums, and delay, discontinue, or no-go controls when stress threatens safe performance.
    • Explain fatigue.
      • Distinguish acute fatigue from chronic fatigue and identify common causes.
      • Recognize fatigue through performance, behavior, and alertness cues.
      • Explain how fatigue degrades attention, judgment, reaction time, and coordination even when the pilot does not feel notably sleepy.
      • Select effective fatigue controls and make a professional delay, discontinue, or no-go decision when fitness is doubtful.
    • Explain dehydration and nutrition.
      • Explain how dehydration and inadequate nutrition degrade concentration, judgment, endurance, and physical performance.
      • Plan fluids, meals, breaks, and exposure controls for the duration and conditions of the operation.
      • Recognize developing dehydration or nutritional impairment and delay, discontinue, or land when fitness is degraded.
    • Explain hypothermia.
      • Explain causes, stages, signs, and performance effects of cold stress and hypothermia.
      • Prevent hypothermia through clothing, shelter, dry equipment, exposure planning, and survival preparation.
      • Respond to suspected hypothermia with gentle handling, gradual warming, shelter, medical assistance, and an appropriate flight decision.
    • Explain optical illusions.
      • Identify false-horizon, black-hole, autokinesis, runway, terrain, water, snow, dust, and low-contrast optical illusions relevant to helicopter operations.
      • Explain how optical illusions can distort perceived attitude, height, distance, speed, approach path, and motion.
      • Mitigate unreliable visual cues using instruments, stabilized procedures, lighting, independent references, go-around, or transition to instrument flight.
    • Explain dissolved nitrogen in the bloodstream after scuba dives.
    • Explain why alcohol time and concentration limits do not establish fitness while impairment remains.
    • Apply crewmember alcohol and drug restrictions.
      • Identify crewmember alcohol and drug prohibitions.
      • Identify section 91 17 drug restriction.
      • Identify eight hour and 004 alcohol limits.
      • Identify section 91 17 as crewmember alcohol drug rule.
    • Distinguish legal limits from conservative waiting guidance.
      • Distinguish conservative alcohol waiting guidance.
    • Recognize hangover-related impairment after numerical alcohol limits have been met.
    • Explain medication and underlying-condition risks.
    • Explain alcohol-related impairment and recovery considerations.
      • Distinguish conservative alcohol waiting guidance.
    • Apply effects of alcohol, drugs, and over-the-counter medications to the aircraft, conditions, or flight scenario presented.
    • Apply ADM or SRM to prioritize aircraft control, navigation, communication, and a passenger problem under workload.
    • Identify the DECIDE model and its steps.
    • Use ADM, CRM, and SRM to manage flight decisions.
      • Explain aeronautical decision-making (ADM) and the appropriate use of CRM or SRM.
    • Apply the DECIDE model to changing flight conditions.
      • Apply the DECIDE Detect step.
      • Apply the DECIDE Estimate step.
      • Apply the DECIDE Choose step.
      • Apply the DECIDE Identify step.
      • Apply the DECIDE Do step.
      • Apply the DECIDE Evaluate step.
    • Identify and assess the hazards associated with aeromedical and physiological issues.
    • Select and justify effective controls for the risks associated with aeromedical and physiological issues.
    • Identify the anti-authority attitude.
    • Identify the impulsivity attitude.
    • Identify the invulnerability attitude.
    • Identify the macho attitude.
    • Identify the resignation attitude.
    • Apply the antidote to the anti-authority attitude.
    • Apply the antidote to the impulsivity attitude.
    • Apply the antidote to the invulnerability attitude.
    • Apply the antidote to the macho attitude.
    • Apply the antidote to the resignation attitude.
    • Recognize and counter the anti-authority attitude.
    • Recognize and counter the impulsivity attitude.
    • Recognize and counter the invulnerability attitude.
    • Recognize and counter the macho attitude.
    • Recognize and counter the resignation attitude.
    • Assess and manage hazardous-attitude risks.
      • Identify and assess the hazards associated with hazardous attitudes.
      • Select and justify effective controls for the risks associated with hazardous attitudes.
    • Identify and assess the hazards associated with distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
    • Select and justify effective controls for the risks associated with distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
    • Identify and assess the hazards associated with confirmation and expectation bias.
    • Select and justify effective controls for the risks associated with confirmation and expectation bias.
    • Define expectation bias and identify verification techniques.
    • Demonstrate the ability to associate the symptoms and effects for at least three of the conditions listed in K1a through K1l with the cause(s) and corrective action(s).
    • Demonstrate the ability to perform self-assessment, including fitness for flight and personal minimums, for actual flight or a scenario given by the evaluator.
  • Require the learner to use the RFM, checklist, limitations, and current operational information, then document deficiencies and retraining.
Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Human Factors Lesson Plan

Guided Scenario(s)

  • Place the learner in a realistic commercial helicopter operation involving passengers, schedule pressure, changing weather or landing-area conditions, and aircraft performance limitations.
  • Require the learner to identify, assess, and mitigate Aeromedical and physiological issues.
  • Require the learner to brief, perform, or explain how to Associate the symptoms and effects for at least three of the conditions listed in K1a through K1l with the cause(s) and corrective action(s).
  • Introduce a meaningful change in wind, power available, landing area, traffic, system status, fuel, or external pressure and require a new decision.
  • Conclude with a self-critique tied to every applicable ACS element and the commercial standard of care.
Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Human Factors Lesson Plan

Student Actions

  • Complete assigned readings and review the model-specific RFM and checklist.
  • Explain each applicable knowledge element in operational context.
  • Identify, assess, and mitigate each applicable risk.
  • Demonstrate or explain each applicable skill within ACS standards and helicopter limitations.
  • Perform a self-assessment and make appropriate go/no-go, continue/divert, or discontinue decisions.
Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Human Factors Lesson Plan

Airman Certification Standards

Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Human Factors Airman Certification Standards

  • Objective: To determine the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with personal health, flight physiology, and aeromedical and human factors related to safety of flight.
  • References: AIM; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-21, FAA-H-8083-25
Knowledge 4 ACS Elements
  • CH.I.H.K1:
    Symptoms, recognition, causes, effects, and corrective actions associated with aeromedical and physiological issues, including:
    • CH.I.H.K1a:
      Hypoxia
    • CH.I.H.K1b:
      Hyperventilation
    • CH.I.H.K1c:
      Middle ear and sinus problems
    • CH.I.H.K1d:
      Spatial disorientation
    • CH.I.H.K1e:
      Motion sickness
    • CH.I.H.K1f:
      Carbon monoxide poisoning
    • CH.I.H.K1g:
      Stress
    • CH.I.H.K1h:
      Fatigue
    • CH.I.H.K1i:
      Dehydration and nutrition
    • CH.I.H.K1j:
      Hypothermia
    • CH.I.H.K1k:
      Optical illusions
    • CH.I.H.K1l:
      Dissolved nitrogen in the bloodstream after scuba dives
  • CH.I.H.K2:
    Regulations regarding use of alcohol and drugs.
  • CH.I.H.K3:
    Effects of alcohol, drugs, and over-the-counter medications.
  • CH.I.H.K4:
    Aeronautical Decision-Making (ADM) to include using Crew Resource Management (CRM) or Single- Pilot Resource Management (SRM), as appropriate.
Risk Management 4 ACS Elements
  • CH.I.H.R1:
    Aeromedical and physiological issues.
  • CH.I.H.R2:
    Hazardous attitudes.
  • CH.I.H.R3:
    Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
  • CH.I.H.R4:
    Confirmation and expectation bias.
Skills 2 ACS Elements
  • CH.I.H.S1:
    Associate the symptoms and effects for at least three of the conditions listed in K1a through K1l with the cause(s) and corrective action(s).
  • CH.I.H.S2:
    Perform self-assessment, including fitness for flight and personal minimums, for actual flight or a scenario given by the evaluator.
Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Human Factors Lesson Plan

Conclusion

  • Re-Motivation:

    • Commercial-level human factors proficiency protects passengers, the aircraft, and the operator's safety margin.

  • Closure:

    • Review the objective, identified risks, performance strengths, and items requiring additional training.
    • Record the learner's progress and assign the next applicable lesson.