Temptation to arrest, say, the beginning of a seasonal viral illness must be very strong in almost every pilot, civil or military. This may be to go ahead with the planned trip or sortie next morning. Invariably this may happen due to compulsions of the job or one’s personal training needs. But such a temptation to treat oneself, or self-medication, must be avoided for the reasons of both personal and aviation safety. Therefore, pilots assume direct responsibility for their safety when the decide to consult their airline/squadron doctor, besides ensuring the safety of those under their command and the aircraft they fly. Continue reading
Say NO! To Self-Medication: First a few basics…
Do Flight Simulators help in Transfer of Learning?
Despite the wide scale acceptance and use of flight simulators, some doubts may continue being raised about their limitations in the transfer of learning, especially whenever there is an aircraft accident. Continue reading
Aviation Medicine Quiz – Ejection and Ejection Seats
Here is a quiz on Ejection and Ejection Seats. Please answer to the best of your knowledge and understanding the following questions pertaining to Ejection. Continue reading
Eject! Eject! Eject! – Human Factors in Delayed Ejection
Once the decision to abandon the aircraft is taken, the only action required is to fire the seat by pulling the seat-firing handle. This does not take more than a second or two, yet Air Forces the world over have lost pilots, experienced and rookie, because they waited too long to eject. The human factors involved in such delays are several. The same are discussed here briefly. Continue reading
Eject! Eject! Eject! – Current Ejection Systems
Technological advancements in the design and development of ejection systems have resulted in significant improvements in the ejection seat and life support systems. Some of the advancements in ejection seat related sub-systems are discussed here. Continue reading