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VISUAL DEFECTS.
The most common visual defects are caused by the distorted shape of the eyeball.
Other defects are due to irregularities in the cornea, the lens and the eyeball itself.
Myopia.
Myopia
results from
an elongated
eyeball. It can
be corrected with concave
lenses.
Figure 5.7 The normal eye.
A concave lens will correct myopic vision by bending or refracting the light from
distant objects outwards before it hits the cornea.
Normal distance vision for pilots may be very approximately assessed as the ability
to read a car-number plate at 40 metres. For the United Kingdom driving test, the
distance required is 23 metres.
Hypermetropia.
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Case Two. In the second case, we are assuming that the pilot has, for some time,
been carrying out a steady turn to the right. Because the turn is steady and balanced,
there is no movement of uid in the semi-circular canals and the hairs have erected
themselves. This gives the pilot who lacks visual information the erroneous feeling
that he is straight and level (see Figure 6.9, below).
Figure 6.9.
As the pilot exits the turn by rolling to the left to regain straight and level ight, the
uid and the hairs move, giving a false impression of entering a turn to the left when,
in fact, the wings are level.
Figure 6.10.
If a pilot
becomes
aware that
he is spatially disorientated,
he must look out at the visual
horizon if in VMC, or, if in IMC,
trust his instruments.
In Case One and Case Two, the pilot will be subjected to two conicting signals. His
visual sense will tell him one thing, whereas his vestibular apparatus will tell him
another. This conict between vestibular apparatus and visual sensory inputs
is the primary cause of spatial disorientation, and indeed, of motion sickness. Of
course, for a healthy, fully-trained pilot, the visual signals will dominate and he is
hardly likely to become disorientated. But a passenger or new student pilot may
experience spatial disorientation.
As a pilot, you must remember to respect, at all times, the cardinal rule that if you
suspect you are suffering from disorientation, you must concentrate on and believe
the aircrafts instruments, or the external horizon.
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Figure 8.26 Sloping terrain on approach may confuse a pilots perception of height.
Figure 9.2 Flying in deteriorating weather conditions may lead to performance degradation
through mental overload or overarousal.
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