People in a rollercoaster or falling elevator feel the rapid descent, so why don't pilots in the cockpit?
Judging from the CVR transcript, the AF447 pilots didn't realize for most of the plunge that they were stalled and rapidly losing altitude.
Why don't pilots in the cockpit get the same sensation of falling down as people in a rollercoaster or a falling elevator ? Both are situations in which you would unmistakeably know you are falling. (If you have never experienced a rollercoaster descent, believe me, it's noticeable ;-). So why and how does it differ for the pilot in the cockpit ?
medical aircraft-physics g-forces human-factors af447-accident
asked 4 hours ago
summerrain
1,3351723
add a comment |
Judging from the CVR transcript, the AF447 pilots didn't realize for most of the plunge that they were stalled and rapidly losing altitude.
Why don't pilots in the cockpit get the same sensation of falling down as people in a rollercoaster or a falling elevator ? Both are situations in which you would unmistakeably know you are falling. (If you have never experienced a rollercoaster descent, believe me, it's noticeable ;-). So why and how does it differ for the pilot in the cockpit ?
medical aircraft-physics g-forces human-factors af447-accident
asked 4 hours ago
summerrain
1,3351723
You seem to assume managing an abnormal situation is natural. It actually requires a lot of training to discard feelings and rely only on instrument indications. Pilots have flown inverted without knowing it, or think they are flying inverted, while they are just flying upright. It can happen at any time, to anyone, when external references are lost, and in particular at night. It's called spatial disorientation. The "the head-up illusion" (p7) for instance can give the feeling of pitching up while the aircraft is accelerating down.
– mins
2 hours ago
You are making my point, actually. In an elevator you have zero spatial orientation, yet you would know unmistakeably that you are going/falling down.
– summerrain
1 hour ago
add a comment |
Judging from the CVR transcript, the AF447 pilots didn't realize for most of the plunge that they were stalled and rapidly losing altitude.
Why don't pilots in the cockpit get the same sensation of falling down as people in a rollercoaster or a falling elevator ? Both are situations in which you would unmistakeably know you are falling. (If you have never experienced a rollercoaster descent, believe me, it's noticeable ;-). So why and how does it differ for the pilot in the cockpit ?
medical aircraft-physics g-forces human-factors af447-accident
asked 4 hours ago
summerrain
1,3351723
Judging from the CVR transcript, the AF447 pilots didn't realize for most of the plunge that they were stalled and rapidly losing altitude.
Why don't pilots in the cockpit get the same sensation of falling down as people in a rollercoaster or a falling elevator ? Both are situations in which you would unmistakeably know you are falling. (If you have never experienced a rollercoaster descent, believe me, it's noticeable ;-). So why and how does it differ for the pilot in the cockpit ?
medical aircraft-physics g-forces human-factors af447-accident
medical aircraft-physics g-forces human-factors af447-accident
asked 4 hours ago
summerrain
1,3351723
asked 4 hours ago
summerrain
1,3351723
asked 4 hours ago
summerrain
1,3351723
asked 4 hours ago
summerrain
1,3351723
asked 4 hours ago
summerrain
1,3351723
1,3351723
You seem to assume managing an abnormal situation is natural. It actually requires a lot of training to discard feelings and rely only on instrument indications. Pilots have flown inverted without knowing it, or think they are flying inverted, while they are just flying upright. It can happen at any time, to anyone, when external references are lost, and in particular at night. It's called spatial disorientation. The "the head-up illusion" (p7) for instance can give the feeling of pitching up while the aircraft is accelerating down.
– mins
2 hours ago
You are making my point, actually. In an elevator you have zero spatial orientation, yet you would know unmistakeably that you are going/falling down.
– summerrain
1 hour ago
add a comment |
You seem to assume managing an abnormal situation is natural. It actually requires a lot of training to discard feelings and rely only on instrument indications. Pilots have flown inverted without knowing it, or think they are flying inverted, while they are just flying upright. It can happen at any time, to anyone, when external references are lost, and in particular at night. It's called spatial disorientation. The "the head-up illusion" (p7) for instance can give the feeling of pitching up while the aircraft is accelerating down.
– mins
2 hours ago
You are making my point, actually. In an elevator you have zero spatial orientation, yet you would know unmistakeably that you are going/falling down.
– summerrain
1 hour ago
You seem to assume managing an abnormal situation is natural. It actually requires a lot of training to discard feelings and rely only on instrument indications. Pilots have flown inverted without knowing it, or think they are flying inverted, while they are just flying upright. It can happen at any time, to anyone, when external references are lost, and in particular at night. It's called spatial disorientation. The "the head-up illusion" (p7) for instance can give the feeling of pitching up while the aircraft is accelerating down.
– mins
2 hours ago
You seem to assume managing an abnormal situation is natural. It actually requires a lot of training to discard feelings and rely only on instrument indications. Pilots have flown inverted without knowing it, or think they are flying inverted, while they are just flying upright. It can happen at any time, to anyone, when external references are lost, and in particular at night. It's called spatial disorientation. The "the head-up illusion" (p7) for instance can give the feeling of pitching up while the aircraft is accelerating down.
– mins
2 hours ago
You are making my point, actually. In an elevator you have zero spatial orientation, yet you would know unmistakeably that you are going/falling down.
– summerrain
1 hour ago
You are making my point, actually. In an elevator you have zero spatial orientation, yet you would know unmistakeably that you are going/falling down.
– summerrain
1 hour ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
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oldest
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You only feel the acceleration downward. In rollercoasted this sensation is maximized for maximum thrill. A stall isn't instant, Some parts of the wing can be stalled while the rest still provides proper lift. Once the airplane is near or at terminal velocity in a stall it will feel no different from regular straight and level flight.
The onset of the stall was paired with some turbulence which would mask the downward acceleration.
Pilots are also trained to ignore their own sensations because they can be misleading leading to spatial disorientation. You can be in a spiraling dive and still feel as if you are flying straight and level.
answered 4 hours ago
ratchet freak
23.3k463125
The aircraft encountered vertical accelerations between +0.5G and +1.7G.
– summerrain
3 hours ago
1
+1 for mentioning the spiral dive. In a 60 degree steep turn you can be pulling +2g and not notice
– Dave Gremlin
3 hours ago
There is also the lack of wind. Plus since the op mentioned elevators, might be worth pointing out you only feel the initial acceleration, after that you only feel vibration .
– Notts90
2 hours ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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oldest
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You only feel the acceleration downward. In rollercoasted this sensation is maximized for maximum thrill. A stall isn't instant, Some parts of the wing can be stalled while the rest still provides proper lift. Once the airplane is near or at terminal velocity in a stall it will feel no different from regular straight and level flight.
The onset of the stall was paired with some turbulence which would mask the downward acceleration.
Pilots are also trained to ignore their own sensations because they can be misleading leading to spatial disorientation. You can be in a spiraling dive and still feel as if you are flying straight and level.
answered 4 hours ago
ratchet freak
23.3k463125
The aircraft encountered vertical accelerations between +0.5G and +1.7G.
– summerrain
3 hours ago
1
+1 for mentioning the spiral dive. In a 60 degree steep turn you can be pulling +2g and not notice
– Dave Gremlin
3 hours ago
There is also the lack of wind. Plus since the op mentioned elevators, might be worth pointing out you only feel the initial acceleration, after that you only feel vibration .
– Notts90
2 hours ago
add a comment |
You only feel the acceleration downward. In rollercoasted this sensation is maximized for maximum thrill. A stall isn't instant, Some parts of the wing can be stalled while the rest still provides proper lift. Once the airplane is near or at terminal velocity in a stall it will feel no different from regular straight and level flight.
The onset of the stall was paired with some turbulence which would mask the downward acceleration.
Pilots are also trained to ignore their own sensations because they can be misleading leading to spatial disorientation. You can be in a spiraling dive and still feel as if you are flying straight and level.
answered 4 hours ago
ratchet freak
23.3k463125
The aircraft encountered vertical accelerations between +0.5G and +1.7G.
– summerrain
3 hours ago
1
+1 for mentioning the spiral dive. In a 60 degree steep turn you can be pulling +2g and not notice
– Dave Gremlin
3 hours ago
There is also the lack of wind. Plus since the op mentioned elevators, might be worth pointing out you only feel the initial acceleration, after that you only feel vibration .
– Notts90
2 hours ago
add a comment |
You only feel the acceleration downward. In rollercoasted this sensation is maximized for maximum thrill. A stall isn't instant, Some parts of the wing can be stalled while the rest still provides proper lift. Once the airplane is near or at terminal velocity in a stall it will feel no different from regular straight and level flight.
The onset of the stall was paired with some turbulence which would mask the downward acceleration.
Pilots are also trained to ignore their own sensations because they can be misleading leading to spatial disorientation. You can be in a spiraling dive and still feel as if you are flying straight and level.
answered 4 hours ago
ratchet freak
23.3k463125
You only feel the acceleration downward. In rollercoasted this sensation is maximized for maximum thrill. A stall isn't instant, Some parts of the wing can be stalled while the rest still provides proper lift. Once the airplane is near or at terminal velocity in a stall it will feel no different from regular straight and level flight.
The onset of the stall was paired with some turbulence which would mask the downward acceleration.
Pilots are also trained to ignore their own sensations because they can be misleading leading to spatial disorientation. You can be in a spiraling dive and still feel as if you are flying straight and level.
answered 4 hours ago
ratchet freak
23.3k463125
answered 4 hours ago
ratchet freak
23.3k463125
answered 4 hours ago
ratchet freak
23.3k463125
answered 4 hours ago
ratchet freak
23.3k463125
23.3k463125
The aircraft encountered vertical accelerations between +0.5G and +1.7G.
– summerrain
3 hours ago
1
+1 for mentioning the spiral dive. In a 60 degree steep turn you can be pulling +2g and not notice
– Dave Gremlin
3 hours ago
There is also the lack of wind. Plus since the op mentioned elevators, might be worth pointing out you only feel the initial acceleration, after that you only feel vibration .
– Notts90
2 hours ago
add a comment |
The aircraft encountered vertical accelerations between +0.5G and +1.7G.
– summerrain
3 hours ago
1
+1 for mentioning the spiral dive. In a 60 degree steep turn you can be pulling +2g and not notice
– Dave Gremlin
3 hours ago
There is also the lack of wind. Plus since the op mentioned elevators, might be worth pointing out you only feel the initial acceleration, after that you only feel vibration .
– Notts90
2 hours ago
The aircraft encountered vertical accelerations between +0.5G and +1.7G.
– summerrain
3 hours ago
The aircraft encountered vertical accelerations between +0.5G and +1.7G.
– summerrain
3 hours ago
1
1
+1 for mentioning the spiral dive. In a 60 degree steep turn you can be pulling +2g and not notice
– Dave Gremlin
3 hours ago
+1 for mentioning the spiral dive. In a 60 degree steep turn you can be pulling +2g and not notice
– Dave Gremlin
3 hours ago
There is also the lack of wind. Plus since the op mentioned elevators, might be worth pointing out you only feel the initial acceleration, after that you only feel vibration .
– Notts90
2 hours ago
There is also the lack of wind. Plus since the op mentioned elevators, might be worth pointing out you only feel the initial acceleration, after that you only feel vibration .
– Notts90
2 hours ago
add a comment |
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You seem to assume managing an abnormal situation is natural. It actually requires a lot of training to discard feelings and rely only on instrument indications. Pilots have flown inverted without knowing it, or think they are flying inverted, while they are just flying upright. It can happen at any time, to anyone, when external references are lost, and in particular at night. It's called spatial disorientation. The "the head-up illusion" (p7) for instance can give the feeling of pitching up while the aircraft is accelerating down.
– mins
2 hours ago
You are making my point, actually. In an elevator you have zero spatial orientation, yet you would know unmistakeably that you are going/falling down.
– summerrain
1 hour ago