Physiological and Performance Effects on the Aircrew during Low-Altitude High-Speed Flight Missions.
Abstract
Operational experience as well as flight and simulator experiments indicate that low altitude high speed flying constitutes a nonspecific stress resulting in adverse physiological responses, cumulative fatigue and potentially detrimental effects on selected performance capabilities. Psychological mission stress and pilot workload are hard to separate from the combination of physical stressors, such as buffeting, noise, and heat. Recent studies on the combined effects of noise and vibration on visual and psychomotor performance will be reviewed. As guidance for the evaluation of operational situations the proposed international standard for the evaluation of vibration environments with respect to health, pilot performance, fatigue, and comfort is reviewed. Research goals of ongoing programs in several countries are directed toward reducing environmental stresses and toward refining guidelines with respect to human psycho-physiological responses to these stressors. Promising new approaches appear to rest in the application of modern control theory to describe man-machine effectiveness under environmental stress. Only such adequate descriptions of the physiological state and operational effectiveness of the man would allow future aircraft and weapons systems to be designed with optimum efficiency and effectiveness. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1971
- Accession Number
- AD0737827
Entities
People
- Henning E. Von Gierke
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory