10-Step Lesson On Sensory, Mental, Physical Limitations In The Cockpit

How well do you work with the systems that are vital to a successful flight? That's the point of a new FAA website aimed at helping pilots learn more about their own limitations.

The Human Factors course is designed for FAA employees, but is open to anyone. It features a 10-module lesson on how we interact with machines on a physical, sensory and cognitive level.

"Improvements to aviation safety and capacity are dependent on developing a national aviation system that is not only technically sophisticated, but also human performance-based and human-centered," Joan Bauerlein, FAA's aviation research and development director, said in a statement to GovExec.com.

What's it look like? Here's an example:

Reach - Reach to a control should be based on the shortest reach anticipated in the worker population, typically the reach capabilities of the 5th percentile female. The data point used should be for "functional reach." Functional reach is not just the farthest point that can be touched, but takes into consideration the need for hand use for control activation.
Strength - The strength required for control activation should be no more than can be applied by the 5th percentile female.

Body Size - In constrained spaces, access to controls should be based on the body dimensions of the largest worker. Typically, clearance space for each affected body dimension should be that of the 95th percentile male. If it is possible that workers could become entrapped because of size, then the 99th percentile measurements should be used.
 
Coordination - The coordination required for control and display use should not exceed that which can be anticipated in the worker population.

Knowing something about human factors, according to the FAA, makes a plane both safer and easier to control. Applied internally by the FAA, agency officials say accounting for human factors will make air traffic control both quicker and more efficient.

FMI: www.hf.faa.gov/webtraining