Postural Stability in Pilots Under Vestibular Stress - A Comparative Look at Pilot Candidates Versus Experienced Jet-Aircrews

All Air Forces battle the lack of sufficient recruitment of pilot and aircrew candidates. One way to solve the problem is to look into extending the flying career of an individual. German regulations require jet aircrew members except those in commanders' positions - to stop flying at the age of 41 and leave the Bundeswehr to pursue a civilian career. This means the loss of experienced aircrews not because of medical problems but because of legal requirements. This age restriction of 41 might not be justified any more from a medical point of view. Aeromedical specialists all around the world are looking into the issue of aircrew aging. Orientation in space and postural control are very important for any aircrew. In this study we compared the postural control of experienced pilots versus pilot candidates. We tried to determine possible differences between the age groups to get an indication of the ability to control one's position in space after a strong vestibular stimulus. As a working hypothesis, we assumed that there would be no significant differences between the two groups of test persons.
The original document contains color images. Presented at the RTO Human Factors Symposium on Spatial Disorientation in Military Vehicles: Causes, Consquences and Cures, La Coruna, Spain, 15-17 Apr 2002, and published in RTO-MP-086. This article is from ADA413343 Spatial Disorientation in Military Vehicles: Causes, Consequences and Cures (Desorientation spaiale dans les vehicules militaires: causes, consequences et remedes)