Vision illusions occur when conditions unexpectedly control the perception of the pilot concerning the environment. When they occur, they may not just cause immediate and runway overrun or hard landing, but also may result in spatial disorientation making the plane to lose control (Pilot, 2004). The report on Vision Illusions Awareness Preview highlights critical points which when observed keenly while flying may help mitigate the dangers associated with visual illusions. Some of these preventive strategies are as discussed below.
To reduce the effects of visual illusions, preventives measures should be developed based:
Hazard awareness: pilots and those training them should assess the exposure of optical illusions in the environment that they operate from. It is of uttermost importance for pilots to receive training on factors that contribute to visual hallucinations and how they affect the awareness of the aircraft position and the environment in general (Pilot, 2004). Flight crews should also identify with hazard-runways in the atmosphere to be aware lest they encounter visual illusions and fall victim of the same.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Terrain Awareness: flight crews should also acquaint themselves with the terrains in the environment in which they operate from such as natural features and obstacles created by man (Pilot, 2004). When flying at night, the pilot who is not familiar with the environment may approach a darkened hillside in the runway which may prevent him from perceiving the erected terrain. Being aware of the territories in surroundings, therefore, is important for flight crews.
Flying Techniques: when flying at night, pilots should regard any instrument on the way as a visual approach to minimize accidents resulted from optical illusions. It is important for the pilot to maintain a reference to obstacles before he approaches the VDP as this will help him reduce accidents that result from hard landing or landing prematurely.
Reference
Pilot, E. (2004). Controller Communications, Flight Operations Briefing Notes. Human Performance, September .
