1. Aviation Human Factors
LECTURE 2: FLIGHT PHYSIOLOGY 1

2. Learning Objectives By end of this session, you will be able to:
Understand how the body and mind can be affected in flight as well as why they are affected in flight.
Be knowledgeable about the physiology of the body in the flight environment.

3. Why Important?
Flight physiology and human factors both have an impact on flight.
More than 70 percent of aviation accidents and incidents are in some way related to human factors.
An accident is one incident too many.
No accident occurs without a series of incidents happening beforehand.

4. What is Physiology?
The study of human systems' integrated functions and the processes by which they maintain the body functions.

5. Flight physiology
Flight physiology is how the body and mind work in the flying environment.
It includes
How our organs function,
What keeps them from functioning in a abnormal environment,
What the pilot can do to protect these functions before and during flight.
Flight physiology, therefore, is an integral part of human factors and safe flight, and it has a direct effect on human performance.

6. Remember
Knowing flight physiology, being aware of its effects on performance, and maintaining a high index of suspicion when performance becomes poor will continue to make everyone a better and safer pilot.
Suspicion = a feeling that something is possible

7. SHELL Model Model developed by ICAO
This model explain why the physiology of flight is important, since the human element is obviously crucial and central and every aspect of physiology will affect every other interaction as defined in the model.
Human factors are how these interfaces and interactions ultimately affect performance.

8. H S L E L SHELL MODEL L- L I V E W A R E (Human)
Core of the model comprised of human operators, most flexible and critical component in the system. S L E L
Liveware becomes a component as well as the central figure upon which each component will have an effect; thus, we can talk about the “human-machine” interaction (pilot moves a control), for example, while keeping in mind that there are other interactions (turbulence caused by weather).
S - Software (procedures, documentation) H - Hardware (technology, machine, equipment) E - Environment (weather, temperature, noise L - Liveware (human)

9. Objectives of Understanding Flight Physiology
To prevent incapacitation or impairment, whether mental or physical .
Incapacitation incapable of performing expected normal activity.
Mental incapacitation is the mind’s inability to use proper judgment, reasoning, and decision making.
Mental incapacitation is the mind’s inability to use proper judgment, reasoning, and decision making.
Beyond that, mental incapacitation turns into “neurological” incapacitation, whereby the signals from the brain fail to use the sensory information and data from the eyes, ears, touch, smell, and the like.
Physical incapacitation refers to the body’s inability to function in an expected way. The end result in any of these incapacitating or impairing situations is an unsafe and poorly performing pilot.

10. Incapacitation
Beyond that, mental incapacitation turns into “neurological” incapacitation, whereby the signals from the brain fail to use the sensory information and data from the eyes, ears, touch, smell, and the like.
Physical incapacitation refers to the body’s inability to function in an expected way.
The end result of both mental (mind) and physical (body) incapacitations is an unsafe and poorly performing pilot.

11. Human Body System

12. Human Body System Respiratory System Circulatory System
Nervous System (Brain)

13. Respiratory System
Respiration is the exchange of gases between the body and its tissues and the outside ambient air.
The main objective of respiration is to add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.

14. Functions of Respiratory System
Intake of Oxygen [O2]
Removal of Carbon Dioxide [CO2]
Maintenance of body heat balance
Maintenance of body acid base balance [pH]

15. Respiration air inflates the lungs air is forced out
Breathing in
Breathing out
diaphragm
descends
diaphragm
relax
Passive Phase EXHALATION
Active Phase INHALATION
air inflates the lungs
air is forced out 20

16. What is the functions of Human Lung?

17. The Lung Function of Lung: To transport of oxygen to the rest of body.
Exchange oxygen O2 and Carbon Dioxide CO2 .

18. The Lung
Air enters through the nose, mouth, trachea to the bronchial tree.
Distribute to the ALVEOLI (air sacs), where blood brought with OXYGEN molecules.
Amount of OXYGEN from Alveoli into red blood cells depends on pressure gradient.

19. The Lung
Within the red blood cell, there is Hemoglobin, which function as specialized oxygen transport system that allows far more oxygen to be carried by blood
At high altitude, we need to increase rate and depth of breathing in order to get enough oxygen into our lung.

20. Effects of reduced Pressure
As the pressure decreases at high altitude the movement of oxygen into the blood is impaired.
The result is hypoxia , or oxygen deprivation.

21. Hypoxia
State of blood when it has an not enough supply of oxygen for the requirements of the tissues and body cells
This can cause impairment of body function especially brain.
Death will follow if oxygen lack continues.

22. Pressure Decrease With Altitude
FEET mm/HG ATMOSPHERES
18, /2
34, /4
48, /8
63, /16

23. Pressure Decrease With Altitude
The air pressure is 30% lower at the higher altitude due to the fact that the atmosphere is less dense--that is, the air molecules are farther apart.

24. Circulation System FUNCTIONS:
Carries the blood, which in turn transports oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste products.
Assists in temperature regulation.
REMEMBER
Any change in oxygen levels to the cells immediately changes the performance of many organs, especially the brain

25. Low pressure effect to Vascular System
At high altitudes, the lower air pressure makes it more difficult for oxygen to enter our vascular systems.

26. Vascular System
The link between the heart, lungs, brain, and other parts (blood vessels)
Function: To maintain blood supply to all tissues of the body

27. The Heart
The heart is an organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by contraction and dilation.

28. The Heart at high Altitude
At higher altitudes, our bodies initially develop inefficient physiological responses.
There is an increase in breathing and heart rate to as much as double even while resting.
Pulse rate and blood pressure go up sharply as our hearts pump harder to get more oxygen to the cells.
These are stressful changes, especially for people with weak hearts.

29. The Heart at high Altitude
The heart muscle requires oxygen for energy
The heart can fail or become less effective if oxygen does not reach the heart muscle.
Total blockage of blood to the heart muscle leads to death of some of the tissues
Dead heart tissue lead to heart attack.

30. The Brain
1st Part of Brain (4 lobes) -Frontal lobes: thoughts, decisions, and judgments -Parietal lobes: senses and send information for processing. -Temporal lobes: Speech center location and where the brain computes information (for written and spoken communications). -Occipital lobes: are where information from the eyes is processed.

31. The Brain
2nd part of brain (Midbrain): Hypothalamus, which produces hormones that affect temperature, growth, and other physiological activities.
3rd part of brain (Hindbrain): The center of regulation of many of the body’s basic functions, including breathing, blood pressure, heart rate, and many others.

32. Effect of lack oxygen to Brain
Lack of oxygen to the brain, lead to the failure of the brain function such as
Inability to do normal physical activities,
Distorted vision
Difficulty with memorizing
Difficulty in judgment and decision making
Loss of thinking ability
Fail to communicate and write well

33. Types of Hypoxia

34. A deficiency in Alveolar oxygen exchange
Hypoxic Hypoxia
A deficiency in Alveolar oxygen exchange
Reduced pO2
in the lungs
(high altitude)
Red
blood cells
Body tissue

35. Hypoxic Hypoxia
Hypoxic hypoxia occurs when not enough oxygen is in the air or when decreasing atmospheric pressures prevent the diffusion of O2 from the lungs to the bloodstream.
The partial pressure of oxygen as it is presented to the blood within the lungs is too low to effectively carry and transfer enough oxygen to the cells of the tissues.

37. Hypemic Hypoxia Low- Haemoglobin
An oxygen deficiency due to reduction in the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood + + + + + + + + + + + +
Low- Haemoglobin + + +

38. Hypemic Hypoxia
Hypemic hypoxia is caused by a reduction in the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
Can cause anaemia, a condition in which there is a deficiency of red cells or haemoglobin in the blood.
Means less capacity for blood to carry oxygen.
Hemoglobin (Hgb) physically carries 75 times more oxygen molecule. 38

39. Stagnant Hypoxia G-Forces Reduced blood flow Adequate oxygen
Blood moving
slowly
Red blood cells
not replenishing
tissue needs
fast enough
G-Forces

40. Stagnant hypoxia
In stagnant hypoxia, the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is adequate but, circulation is inadequate.
Such decrease in blood flow results from the heart failing to pump effectively.
Such conditions as heart failure, arterial problem, and blockage of a blood vessel predispose the individual to stagnant hypoxia.
More often, when a crew member experiences extreme gravitational forces, disrupting blood flow and causing the blood to stagnate. 40

41. Alcohol Histotoxic Hypoxia Inability of the cell to accept
or use oxygen
Adequate
oxygen
Red blood cells
retain oxygen
Alcohol
Poisoned tissue

42. Histotoxic Hypoxia
Histotoxic means the target cell expecting and needing oxygen is abnormal and unable to take up the oxygen that is present.
This abnormality has been created as a result of a toxins present/absorbed by the cell (ex: Alcohol becomes a toxin to the cell)
Alcohol, narcotics, and certain poisons interfere the use of Oxygen by body tissues. 42

43. Importance to know hypoxia
No matter what the reason for oxygen not getting to the cell the lack of oxygen (hypoxia) results in a variety symptoms.
The danger of hypoxia is that the pilot is probably unsuspecting that he/she is hypoxic.
The key to flying safe at high altitude is to recognize:
The conditions under which you could be hypoxic.
The physical and mental symptoms that indicate you are hypoxic.
When a crewmate is susceptible to hypoxia in those conditions.

44. Why important to recognize?
Because the nervous system tissues have a heavy requirement for oxygen, especially the brain (and eyes), most hypoxic symptoms are directly or indirectly related to the nervous system (brain).
If hypoxia is prolonged, serious problems develop with ultimate death . In extreme cases (prior to death), some brain cells are actually killed, and they cannot be regenerated.
The single most dangerous characteristic of hypoxia is that if the crewmember is hypoxic and engrossed in flight duties, the pilot might not even notice the impairment.

45. Symptoms of hypoxia
Apparent personality change – change in outlook and behavior
Impaired judgment – loss of thinking ability with the individual unaware of reduced performance.
Memory impairment -short term memory is lost early.

46. Symptoms of hypoxia
Sensory loss- vision, especially for color, is affected early, and then touch, orientation, and hearing are impairment.
Impairment of consciousness- as hypoxia progresses the individual’s level of consciousness drops until he becomes confused, then semiconscious, and unconscious. Unless he is rescued he will die and at high altitude death can occur within a few minutes.

47. How to prevent Reduce tolerance to altitude (descends)
By enriching the inspired air with oxygen from an appropriate oxygen system (Oxygen Tank & Mask)
By maintaining a comfortable, safe cabin pressure altitude (Cabin Pressurization)