Vestibular Illusions Essay

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Vestibular Illusions A Vestibular illusion is caused by the movement or lack of movement of the fluid in the inner ear depending on the situation. These illusions occur mainly during flight of poor visibility, i.e. its dark or poor weather conditions like fog. This is because there is no or very little visual cues that contradict feeling created from the fluid in the inner ear. Coriolis Illusion The coriolis illusion occurs during a constant rate turn that has been sustained long enough for the fluid in the inner ear to come to rest. When a sudden head movement occurs after the fluid has come to rest, i.e. to pick up a dropped pencil or to look at an approach chart, the illusion with then make the pilot feel as if he or she is in an entirely different axis. The pilot will then attempt to manoeuver the aircraft to stop the change. This illusion can be prevented by not making sudden head movements during long constant rate turns. Head up Illusion This illusion occurs during rapid accelerations. A good example is take off. This illusion creates the feel of being in a nose up attitude. The pilot will try to correct by pushing the control collem forward. Head Down Illusion If a rapid deceleration occurs then the pilot will feel as if the aircraft is in a nose down attitude. The pilot will then pull back on the control collom and put the aircraft into a nose up attitude, or stall the aircraft. Elevator Illusion This illusion occurs from a sudden upward acceleration, commonly by and updraft. This creates the illusion of being in a climb the pilots reaction is to put the aircraft into a nose low attitude or dive. The opposite occurs from a sudden downward vertical acceleration, commonly a downdraft. This creates the illusion of being in a dive therefore the pilot pulls back on the control collem and could possible put the aircraft into a stall. Inversion

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