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Flight Physiology for Pilots

While Physiology is the basic understanding of how the mechanisms of living things work, the basic flight Physiology is the science of how pilots keep things together in flights.  It’s an enormous responsibility to pilot an aircraft, especially when you consider all the things pilots must juggle.
The general public doesn’t hear about a pilot’s problems or heroics unless it turns into a crisis situation.  You probably know the name Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger.  He’s the US Airways pilot that successfully crash landed his plane into New York’s Hudson River after a flock of geese disabled the engines on January 15, 2009.  All 155 on board survived the crash and public praise was offered to “Sully” for his heroic actions.
Truth be told, many pilots make heroic decisions and save lives every day, but because there isn’t a dramatic rescue in the middle of the river, you never hear about it.  You may have benefited from one of those decisions and never knew you were in trouble.  That pilot was able to make the right decision and save lives.
Everyday, pilots deal with personal challenges like vertigo and disorientation due to long hours in the cockpit.  They must fight fatigue from long hours and work schedules.  Their daily intake of caffeine, alcohol, and over the counter medication is scrutinized and can have a direct impact on a plane full of passengers and crew.  Piloting an aircraft is a huge responsibility and knowing their limits and expertise helps the men and women who take the charge of pilot maintain quality air travel for travelers everyday.
FAA Safety Course
Flight Nurses