Psychophysiological Factors Analysis in Unpressurized Aircraft Cabins

(Conference Proceeding)

In the versatile aviation environment, the pilot’s well-being is a crucial and demanding factor which is directly related to his good performance. Due to the unpressurized and unacclimatized aircraft cabin, light-sport pilots are exposed to many different environmental conditions. This might be a concerning situation once each pilot reacts differently to the same flight conditions. Therefore, it is very difficult to establish general safety limits regarding the psychophysiological factors. Actually, a brief research on this matter suggests that a significant part of incidents and accidents in aviation are related to human factors. To evaluate pilot’s performance was built a portable and ergonomic monitoring system that records cerebral and peripheral oximetry, to study the hypoxia (rSO2) phenomenon, and electrocardiography (ECG), to study the heart rate (HR). All these parameters were analyzed for different stressful situations, at different altitudes and environments as hypobaric chamber, flight simulator and real flight scenarios. During the tests was possible to observe that, for the same altitude but in different situations, the same pilot presented different rSO2 and HR levels; this may suggest that the stress level can compromise the pilot’s psychophysiological response and, consequently, his performance. The obtained results showed that under some specific conditions, the stress level may alter the rSO2 and HR values and the normal response to an external stimulus, increasing physiologically its intensity, and even compromise the pilot’s safety, specially, if he is not aware of his physiological limits. This research also intends to suggest some regulatory adjustments regarding the psychophysiological demands for light-sport pilot certification.

(Comunicação em Conferência)

In the versatile aviation environment, the pilot’s well-being is a crucial and demanding factor which is directly related to his good performance. Due to the unpressurized and unacclimatized aircraft cabin, light-sport pilots are exposed to many different environmental conditions. This might be a concerning situation once each pilot reacts differently to the same flight conditions. Therefore, it is very difficult to establish general safety limits regarding the psychophysiological factors. Actually, a brief research on this matter suggests that a significant part of incidents and accidents in aviation are related to human factors. To evaluate pilot’s performance was built a portable and ergonomic monitoring system that records cerebral and peripheral oximetry, to study the hypoxia (rSO2) phenomenon, and electrocardiography (ECG), to study the heart rate (HR). All these parameters were analyzed for different stressful situations, at different altitudes and environments as hypobaric chamber, flight simulator and real flight scenarios. During the tests was possible to observe that, for the same altitude but in different situations, the same pilot presented different rSO2 and HR levels; this may suggest that the stress level can compromise the pilot’s psychophysiological response and, consequently, his performance. The obtained results showed that under some specific conditions, the stress level may alter the rSO2 and HR values and the normal response to an external stimulus, increasing physiologically its intensity, and even compromise the pilot’s safety, specially, if he is not aware of his physiological limits. This research also intends to suggest some regulatory adjustments regarding the psychophysiological demands for light-sport pilot certification.

(Comunicação em Conferência)

In the versatile aviation environment, the pilot’s well-being is a crucial and demanding factor which is directly related to his good performance. Due to the unpressurized and unacclimatized aircraft cabin, light-sport pilots are exposed to many different environmental conditions. This might be a concerning situation once each pilot reacts differently to the same flight conditions. Therefore, it is very difficult to establish general safety limits regarding the psychophysiological factors. Actually, a brief research on this matter suggests that a significant part of incidents and accidents in aviation are related to human factors. To evaluate pilot’s performance was built a portable and ergonomic monitoring system that records cerebral and peripheral oximetry, to study the hypoxia (rSO2) phenomenon, and electrocardiography (ECG), to study the heart rate (HR). All these parameters were analyzed for different stressful situations, at different altitudes and environments as hypobaric chamber, flight simulator and real flight scenarios. During the tests was possible to observe that, for the same altitude but in different situations, the same pilot presented different rSO2 and HR levels; this may suggest that the stress level can compromise the pilot’s psychophysiological response and, consequently, his performance. The obtained results showed that under some specific conditions, the stress level may alter the rSO2 and HR values and the normal response to an external stimulus, increasing physiologically its intensity, and even compromise the pilot’s safety, specially, if he is not aware of his physiological limits. This research also intends to suggest some regulatory adjustments regarding the psychophysiological demands for light-sport pilot certification.