Stress/Anxiety Driven Accidents

[Soarin Again[_2_]]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vjsws679vxr7g69/Stress-Anxiety%20Driven%20Accidents.docx?dl=0

above is a Drop box link to this article for easier reading




March 3,2018

Stress/Anxiety Driven Accidents

For clarity, all references to tunnel vision in this article relate to an
actual visual impairment, where the individual can only properly focus on
objects in a narrow “tunnel-like" field. Sometimes referred to as
"peripheral vision loss" or “reduced visual perception”. Which is
totally different than the mental tunnel vision often inferred to as a
contributing cause in accidents, which can be defined as one’s tendency
to focus on a single goal or point of view.

On a BFR flight in the spring of 2013, I sat in the back seat of a Grob 103
as one of our most respected high time xc pilots silently dealt with what
should have been a simple (simulated) spoilers failed full open landing.
Just prior to turning downwind when the pilot checked his spoilers, I
alerted him to the fact that I was holding the spoilers open to simulate a
mechanical failure. He proceeded to turn downwind at the normal location,
altitude and airspeed, then ask “if he still needed to use some slip
during the landing as previously requested”. I replied “no, you’re
now dealing with a simulated emergency, just make a safe landing on the
airport. (For those unfamiliar with a Grob 103, with full spoilers at 60
kts the rate of descent is close to 1200 feet per minute). Not
surprisingly after a few moments on downwind the pilot became aware of our
rapid altitude loss and without saying anything he immediately turned base.


At this point, I assumed he had given up on the glider runway and was now
planning to land on the closer parallel main runway. Apparently, he could
not see that our L/D was not going to get us to the runway, let alone have
the remaining altitude necessary to then turn finale and land. I refrained
from commenting fully expecting that at any moment he would announce that
he needs to close the spoilers to make a safe landing, but silently he
pressed on seemingly undaunted by the decaying situation. Finally at a
point 200 feet North of the runway half way thru a rapidly descending left
turn to final and with the left tip less than a half wingspan from the
ground. I loudly barked “my glider” as I slammed the spoilers closed,
arrested the descent and leveled the wings to maneuver and land on the
runway then to roll up and stop at the mid field taxiway. I was
dumbfounded and clueless as to how such a qualified pilot could have been
completely oblivious to the fact that he was but a few heartbeats away from
destroying the glider and likely crippling or killing us both. Our post
landing debrief was eye opening to say the least.

question: “when I took the glider how high do you think our left tip was
above the ground”

reply: “I’m not sure but I thought we were ok and maybe fifty feet
above the ground”

question: “at the moment I took the glider, where were you looking”

reply: he raised his right hand putting his thumb and index finger
together to make circle to look thru and stated “I was looking at where I
wanted to go on the runway and it was like I was looking thru a tube”

question: “did you feel like you were stressed during that landing”

reply: “I definitely had a lot of anxiety”

His description of seemingly looking thru a tube, sounded remarkably
similar to what I had experienced back in 1988 on one of my first glider
rides. A local pilot wanted to fly the Grob 103 from the back seat, so I
went along as front seat ballast. Briefly into his second consecutive
loop, I was surprised when my peripheral vision collapsed to the point that
all I could see was the instrument panel. Having read about g-induced
tunnel vision, greying out, and eventual blacking out, I tried pushing the
blood back up to my eyes by tightening the muscles in my legs and abdomen.
Magically it worked, and my vision immediately opened back up to normal.


In 2013 when this pilot described the visual limitation of seemingly
looking thru a tube. I began a research project into learning about what I
believed must be a connection between tunnel vision and accidents. While
there are there are numerous medical, biological or environmental
conditions that can cause tunnel vision. Research shows that the anxiety,
stress and fear, pilots feel when they perceive they are facing a
life-threatening event, triggers the hypothalamus to activate two systems:
the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortical system. The first
phase of this is what is known as the fight or flight response
(interestingly in some individuals it’s actually an or freeze response).
The stress hormones adrenalin and noradrenalin from the adrenal medulla
along with approximately 30 hormones from the adrenal cortex enter the
blood stream. The heart rate and blood pressure rise, preparing the body
to deal with the threat. With a heart rate elevated to 115-145 BPM,
complex motor skills, visual reaction times and cognitive reaction times
are at their peak. However, between 145-175 mental and physical
performance begins to suffer dramatically. Tunnel vision, loss of
peripheral vision, loss of depth perception, auditory exclusion, the
slowing down or speeding up of time as well a decay in complex motor skills
are common. At heart rates above 175 BPM even a well-trained combatant
experiences a catastrophic break down of mental and physical performance
and most combatants experience bladder and bowl voiding.

I realize that lacking any name recognition in the soaring community this
article may well fall on deaf ears. I believe the best I can hope for is
that some small percentage of pilots and instructors, will be intrigued
enough to do their own research on this subject. If they see the value in
it, they will start a grass roots movement to have it pushed thru and
addressed at a national level.

For those pilots who believe they are too good to be susceptible to this
phenomenon. Best wishes

For those pilots who believe they quite susceptible to this issue. Seek
out an exceptional instructor who can challenge your skills and expand your
comfort level with diverse training

I believe that shedding light on what should be a serious safety concern
for all pilots, was an important first step.

Learn to recognize your signs of stress/anxiety, practice tactical
breathing as an aid in calming down.

Take corrective action immediately when available to mitigate the
stressor.

During landings learn to consciously and regularly look left and right
during the approach to help prevent or brake tunnel vision. Verbalizing
what you see and your intentions (even when solo) helps prevent tunnel
vision.

Invest in a wearable heart rate monitor and use it regularly to gauge your
own stress levels, pay special attention to its recording following
emergency training or off field landings. Lend it to other fellow pilots.


This age of technology provides us with a slew of wearable heart rate
monitors, some relatively cheap and some rather exotic and expensive.
There are watches available that constantly display current heart rate,
record your daily heart rate information, have settable alarms and even
blue tooth to smart phones that display current heart rate information.
The FitBit AltaHR is but one of numerous wearable wrist band heart rate
monitors that send continuous current heart rate to an Iphone. Most
instructors would value being able to have some real insight into their
students stress levels during flight training, particularly during
emergency maneuvers. Viewing pertinent data post flight could be an
invaluable tool for the student and instructor.

I give John Cochran credit for being willing to voice his opinions
regarding contest safety issues. Maybe he can convince some contest pilots
to wear heart rate monitors, so there can be some hard data to share
regarding pilot stress levels during low saves.

Having been involved as a soaring FBO, instructor and examiner for over a
quarter century. I always took great pride in the fact that I provided
students a level of training that assured their safety, as opposed to just
meeting the FAA’s published minimums. I slept well at night, knowing I
should never have a student come thru the door in a wheel chair and ask
“why didn’t you teach me about that”. This article is my final
installment in that process.

Get high, go far, go fast and come home safe.

Marty Eiler

[[email protected]]

Marty,

That's good stuff. As a police instructor I spend a fair amount of time training recruits and officers about what happens to the body/mind under high stress. Tunnel vision and auditory exclusion are two of the most common things reported by officers who have been involved in shootings or other life and death situations. It only makes sense that the officer's attention is narrowly focused on what is about to kill him (e.g. the gun in the suspects hand). I never considered the opposite where the focus is on salvation - the runway in your scenario but it makes perfect sense.

At the range we train officers to do an exaggerated scan after each string of fire in order to break the tunnel vision, just as you describe. Hopefully, when under stress, they will do as they were trained. It is important to do this type of training from the beginning, whether shooting or flying. History has shown that the "law of primacy" takes over when under extreme stress. That is to say, one automatically reverts to the way they were first trained, whether that training was right or wrong. It is difficult to "untrain" bad initial training even with repeated remediation. For example, there are instances of officers raising their non-shooting hand in the midst of a gunfight when their weapons malfunctioned because that's what they were taught to do when they first learned to shoot.

Stress inoculation training is what we do to prepare officers for conflict. Role players, paintball type guns and various scenarios are eye opening events for trainers and trainees, alike. Repeated exposure to this type of training results in better tactics and decision making. In the aviation world simulators have an important role. Maybe someone can (or already has) create a bunch of emergency scenarios for Condor. If its good for airline pilots, it ought to be good for us.

Finally, along with the other side effects of extreme stress there is what has been called the "jangle effect". This is the inability to carry on dialogue, even internally. Officers have reported the inability to "get the words out" on the radio or to their partners. Doing even simple calculations like glide ratios can also be quite difficult. If there is time, consciously controlling your breathing can help with this. I really like your idea of having a student (or any pilot) actually speak out loud as he is making decisions. It lets you know the decision making process that is going on and, if things get quiet, you now there might be a problem. I often find myself talking out loud as I prepare for landing.

Keep up the good work and thanks for your contributions.

[[email protected]]

Marty Eiler,

Thank you for a thought provoking article. I know some students exhibit more stress than others but I hadn't thought about how it brings on "tunnel vision". This insight now lets me understand why some students have trouble seeing the bigger picture of what is happening during the landing process or other maneuver.

During the debrief, I will now ask "What were you seeing when _______."

During a debrief, I've been telling students what to correct based on what I was seeing. The better approach is to understand what they were seeing and why they took a particular action. If "tunnel vision" is a factor, a different teaching approach is required.

Thoughtfully,
Chuck Zabinski

[son_of_flubber]

On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 6:30:09 AM UTC-5, soarin wrote:
>
> On a BFR flight in the spring of 2013, I sat in the back seat of a Grob 103
> as one of our most respected high time xc pilots silently dealt with what
> should have been a simple (simulated) spoilers failed full open landing.

Back in 2011, I was a student glider pilot. Standing on the field I watched 'one of our most respected high time xc pilots' fail to respond correctly to a 'simulated rope break' at 300 AGL during his Flight Review. I watched the glider enter an incipient spin and disappear behind a line of trees. To my untrained eye, it looked to be flying straight down.

The CFI recovered from the dive at the very last second, flared, rolled uphill about 50 feet, and put a wing tip down to ground loop (to avert collision with an immovable object). Wing spar bent. No injuries. That was the pilot-under-review's last flight in a glider.

I will probably never be a respected high time XC pilot, but when it comes time hang up my wings, I sincerely hope that I quit BEFORE I kill a flight instructor, a tow pilot, or anyone else.

[Tango Eight]

On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 7:49:48 PM UTC-5, son_of_flubber wrote:

>
> Back in 2011, I was a student glider pilot. Standing on the field I watched 'one of our most respected high time xc pilots'

Dig into the history on that one, and it will not seem so surprising.

best,
Evan Ludeman / T8

[Ramy[_2_]]

In every BFR I am asking the instructor to perform emergency scenarios without discussing them with me first (at a safe altitude of course).
It has much more value in my opinion than practicing emergencies which were rehearsed on the ground. In real emergency there is no warning, and we should be trained to handle real emergencies. The instructor should wait long enough to give the student a chance to react before taking over. I trust that Marty did not really wait till the last second to react, even if it sounded that way.
I believe tunnel vision is the cause for most accidents, and not lack of training. Otherwise we wouldn’t have so many accidents with experience pilots on the controls, including instructors. One way to look at tunnel vision is the opposite of armchair quarterback. The picture is much clearer when one is not stressed or fixated on a single task, so we all tend to believe this could not happen to us.

Ramy

[[email protected]]

On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 1:14:38 PM UTC-8, wrote:

> During a debrief, I've been telling students what to correct based on what I was seeing. The better
> approach is to understand what they were seeing and why they took a particular action. If "tunnel
> vision" is a factor, a different teaching approach is required.

There's likely something interesting or unique near the approach end of the runway. Ask the student if they saw it. And shortly after the student has "mastered" landings, ask them to look at things to the sides while on final. How else will they be able to react to a runway incursion and land at a different spot.

5Z

[Tom[_21_]]

As a long time instructor I'll concur with the stress induced performance failure(s).

One other point that is really relevant here - as an instructor we have to ensure that we don't place the student on a pedestal thinking that he/she is a "top" competition pilot or the wisest and most experienced pelican around so "of course he/she knows what they are doing, I'll just assume...." and sit back while they auger it in.

An experienced instructor can tell pretty quickly in a simulated (or actual I guess) emergency or abnormal situation if the pilot understands, is coping well and if the situation is going to end wrong. It is incumbent on the instructor to allow the lesson to be learned without allowing the end result be in question. Always a tough balancing act but I know from experience, it doesn't matter how much of a "top gun" pilot this student is - she/he might be rusty, out of practice on these maneuvers/procedures, might have developed bad habits, might be used to flying a different glider (maybe only one ship for many years only getting out of it once every two years for a flight review), flies a 50:1 glider normally and is doing the review in a 34:1 ship, maybe is not used to flying with someone else, may have had a massive stroke on base leg - whatever the cause the CFI has to be on their game and prevent a horrible end result.

I know of too many of these stories that end badly, have had some scares myself. Seen it in power, gliders, commercial operations - it's a "gotcha" for the instructor.

I think very carefully at the purpose of each maneuver, the risk/benefit, the value of the teaching moment and the entire battlespace - what is happening in the pattern and so on. High risk, low reward simulated failures have to be analyzed, managed and often after evaluating are probably not worth it. We used to do some really macho stuff in multi-engine training years ago that killed quite a few people both in training and then in practice - most of us learned and adapted.

Regards, Tom

[jfitch]

On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 3:30:09 AM UTC-8, soarin wrote:
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/vjsws679vxr7g69/Stress-Anxiety%20Driven%20Accidents.docx?dl=0
>
> above is a Drop box link to this article for easier reading
>
>
>
>
> March 3,2018
>
> Stress/Anxiety Driven Accidents
>
> For clarity, all references to tunnel vision in this article relate to an
> actual visual impairment, where the individual can only properly focus on
> objects in a narrow “tunnel-like" field. Sometimes referred to as
> "peripheral vision loss" or “reduced visual perception”. Which is
> totally different than the mental tunnel vision often inferred to as a
> contributing cause in accidents, which can be defined as one’s tendency
> to focus on a single goal or point of view.
>
> On a BFR flight in the spring of 2013, I sat in the back seat of a Grob 103
> as one of our most respected high time xc pilots silently dealt with what
> should have been a simple (simulated) spoilers failed full open landing.
> Just prior to turning downwind when the pilot checked his spoilers, I
> alerted him to the fact that I was holding the spoilers open to simulate a
> mechanical failure. He proceeded to turn downwind at the normal location,
> altitude and airspeed, then ask “if he still needed to use some slip
> during the landing as previously requested”. I replied “no, you’re
> now dealing with a simulated emergency, just make a safe landing on the
> airport. (For those unfamiliar with a Grob 103, with full spoilers at 60
> kts the rate of descent is close to 1200 feet per minute). Not
> surprisingly after a few moments on downwind the pilot became aware of our
> rapid altitude loss and without saying anything he immediately turned base.
>
>
> At this point, I assumed he had given up on the glider runway and was now
> planning to land on the closer parallel main runway. Apparently, he could
> not see that our L/D was not going to get us to the runway, let alone have
> the remaining altitude necessary to then turn finale and land. I refrained
> from commenting fully expecting that at any moment he would announce that
> he needs to close the spoilers to make a safe landing, but silently he
> pressed on seemingly undaunted by the decaying situation. Finally at a
> point 200 feet North of the runway half way thru a rapidly descending left
> turn to final and with the left tip less than a half wingspan from the
> ground. I loudly barked “my glider” as I slammed the spoilers closed,
> arrested the descent and leveled the wings to maneuver and land on the
> runway then to roll up and stop at the mid field taxiway. I was
> dumbfounded and clueless as to how such a qualified pilot could have been
> completely oblivious to the fact that he was but a few heartbeats away from
> destroying the glider and likely crippling or killing us both. Our post
> landing debrief was eye opening to say the least.
>
> question: “when I took the glider how high do you think our left tip was
> above the ground”
>
> reply: “I’m not sure but I thought we were ok and maybe fifty feet
> above the ground”
>
> question: “at the moment I took the glider, where were you looking”
>
> reply: he raised his right hand putting his thumb and index finger
> together to make circle to look thru and stated “I was looking at where I
> wanted to go on the runway and it was like I was looking thru a tube”
>
> question: “did you feel like you were stressed during that landing”
>
> reply: “I definitely had a lot of anxiety”
>
> His description of seemingly looking thru a tube, sounded remarkably
> similar to what I had experienced back in 1988 on one of my first glider
> rides. A local pilot wanted to fly the Grob 103 from the back seat, so I
> went along as front seat ballast. Briefly into his second consecutive
> loop, I was surprised when my peripheral vision collapsed to the point that
> all I could see was the instrument panel. Having read about g-induced
> tunnel vision, greying out, and eventual blacking out, I tried pushing the
> blood back up to my eyes by tightening the muscles in my legs and abdomen..
> Magically it worked, and my vision immediately opened back up to normal.
>
>
> In 2013 when this pilot described the visual limitation of seemingly
> looking thru a tube. I began a research project into learning about what I
> believed must be a connection between tunnel vision and accidents. While
> there are there are numerous medical, biological or environmental
> conditions that can cause tunnel vision. Research shows that the anxiety,
> stress and fear, pilots feel when they perceive they are facing a
> life-threatening event, triggers the hypothalamus to activate two systems:
> the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortical system. The first
> phase of this is what is known as the fight or flight response
> (interestingly in some individuals it’s actually an or freeze response).
> The stress hormones adrenalin and noradrenalin from the adrenal medulla
> along with approximately 30 hormones from the adrenal cortex enter the
> blood stream. The heart rate and blood pressure rise, preparing the body
> to deal with the threat. With a heart rate elevated to 115-145 BPM,
> complex motor skills, visual reaction times and cognitive reaction times
> are at their peak. However, between 145-175 mental and physical
> performance begins to suffer dramatically. Tunnel vision, loss of
> peripheral vision, loss of depth perception, auditory exclusion, the
> slowing down or speeding up of time as well a decay in complex motor skills
> are common. At heart rates above 175 BPM even a well-trained combatant
> experiences a catastrophic break down of mental and physical performance
> and most combatants experience bladder and bowl voiding.
>
> I realize that lacking any name recognition in the soaring community this
> article may well fall on deaf ears. I believe the best I can hope for is
> that some small percentage of pilots and instructors, will be intrigued
> enough to do their own research on this subject. If they see the value in
> it, they will start a grass roots movement to have it pushed thru and
> addressed at a national level.
>
> For those pilots who believe they are too good to be susceptible to this
> phenomenon. Best wishes
>
> For those pilots who believe they quite susceptible to this issue. Seek
> out an exceptional instructor who can challenge your skills and expand your
> comfort level with diverse training
>
> I believe that shedding light on what should be a serious safety concern
> for all pilots, was an important first step.
>
> Learn to recognize your signs of stress/anxiety, practice tactical
> breathing as an aid in calming down.
>
> Take corrective action immediately when available to mitigate the
> stressor.
>
> During landings learn to consciously and regularly look left and right
> during the approach to help prevent or brake tunnel vision. Verbalizing
> what you see and your intentions (even when solo) helps prevent tunnel
> vision.
>
> Invest in a wearable heart rate monitor and use it regularly to gauge your
> own stress levels, pay special attention to its recording following
> emergency training or off field landings. Lend it to other fellow pilots..
>
>
> This age of technology provides us with a slew of wearable heart rate
> monitors, some relatively cheap and some rather exotic and expensive.
> There are watches available that constantly display current heart rate,
> record your daily heart rate information, have settable alarms and even
> blue tooth to smart phones that display current heart rate information.
> The FitBit AltaHR is but one of numerous wearable wrist band heart rate
> monitors that send continuous current heart rate to an Iphone. Most
> instructors would value being able to have some real insight into their
> students stress levels during flight training, particularly during
> emergency maneuvers. Viewing pertinent data post flight could be an
> invaluable tool for the student and instructor.
>
> I give John Cochran credit for being willing to voice his opinions
> regarding contest safety issues. Maybe he can convince some contest pilots
> to wear heart rate monitors, so there can be some hard data to share
> regarding pilot stress levels during low saves.
>
> Having been involved as a soaring FBO, instructor and examiner for over a
> quarter century. I always took great pride in the fact that I provided
> students a level of training that assured their safety, as opposed to just
> meeting the FAA’s published minimums. I slept well at night, knowing I
> should never have a student come thru the door in a wheel chair and ask
> “why didn’t you teach me about that”. This article is my final
> installment in that process.
>
> Get high, go far, go fast and come home safe.
>
> Marty Eiler

While the article is about a physical phenomenon, the sequence started with a poorly planned approach, did it not? Entering downwind before having checked the operation of the spoilers, too low to reach the runway if they stick open - apparently as normal practice.

The physical phenomena of tunnel vision is involuntary, one of the best remedies must surely be to avoid stimulating it. Leaving more margin for error and the unknown is probably the best way to do that. Perhaps better that a heart rate monitor for this pilot is a good landing checklist. It should be completed well before turning downwind, and include a spoiler check - spoilers open, look left and right and confirm open, spoilers closed, look left and right and confirm closed.

[Bruce Hoult]

On Sunday, March 4, 2018 at 6:45:53 PM UTC+3, jfitch wrote:
> On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 3:30:09 AM UTC-8, soarin wrote:
> > https://www.dropbox.com/s/vjsws679vxr7g69/Stress-Anxiety%20Driven%20Accidents.docx?dl=0
> >
> > above is a Drop box link to this article for easier reading
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > March 3,2018
> >
> > Stress/Anxiety Driven Accidents
> >
> > For clarity, all references to tunnel vision in this article relate to an
> > actual visual impairment, where the individual can only properly focus on
> > objects in a narrow “tunnel-like" field. Sometimes referred to as
> > "peripheral vision loss" or “reduced visual perception”.. Which is
> > totally different than the mental tunnel vision often inferred to as a
> > contributing cause in accidents, which can be defined as one’s tendency
> > to focus on a single goal or point of view.
> >
> > On a BFR flight in the spring of 2013, I sat in the back seat of a Grob 103
> > as one of our most respected high time xc pilots silently dealt with what
> > should have been a simple (simulated) spoilers failed full open landing..
> > Just prior to turning downwind when the pilot checked his spoilers, I
> > alerted him to the fact that I was holding the spoilers open to simulate a
> > mechanical failure. He proceeded to turn downwind at the normal location,
> > altitude and airspeed, then ask “if he still needed to use some slip
> > during the landing as previously requested”. I replied “no, you’re
> > now dealing with a simulated emergency, just make a safe landing on the
> > airport. (For those unfamiliar with a Grob 103, with full spoilers at 60
> > kts the rate of descent is close to 1200 feet per minute). Not
> > surprisingly after a few moments on downwind the pilot became aware of our
> > rapid altitude loss and without saying anything he immediately turned base.
> >
> >
> > At this point, I assumed he had given up on the glider runway and was now
> > planning to land on the closer parallel main runway. Apparently, he could
> > not see that our L/D was not going to get us to the runway, let alone have
> > the remaining altitude necessary to then turn finale and land. I refrained
> > from commenting fully expecting that at any moment he would announce that
> > he needs to close the spoilers to make a safe landing, but silently he
> > pressed on seemingly undaunted by the decaying situation. Finally at a
> > point 200 feet North of the runway half way thru a rapidly descending left
> > turn to final and with the left tip less than a half wingspan from the
> > ground. I loudly barked “my glider” as I slammed the spoilers closed,
> > arrested the descent and leveled the wings to maneuver and land on the
> > runway then to roll up and stop at the mid field taxiway. I was
> > dumbfounded and clueless as to how such a qualified pilot could have been
> > completely oblivious to the fact that he was but a few heartbeats away from
> > destroying the glider and likely crippling or killing us both. Our post
> > landing debrief was eye opening to say the least.
> >
> > question: “when I took the glider how high do you think our left tip was
> > above the ground”
> >
> > reply: “I’m not sure but I thought we were ok and maybe fifty feet
> > above the ground”
> >
> > question: “at the moment I took the glider, where were you looking”
> >
> > reply: he raised his right hand putting his thumb and index finger
> > together to make circle to look thru and stated “I was looking at where I
> > wanted to go on the runway and it was like I was looking thru a tube”
> >
> > question: “did you feel like you were stressed during that landing”
> >
> > reply: “I definitely had a lot of anxiety”
> >
> > His description of seemingly looking thru a tube, sounded remarkably
> > similar to what I had experienced back in 1988 on one of my first glider
> > rides. A local pilot wanted to fly the Grob 103 from the back seat, so I
> > went along as front seat ballast. Briefly into his second consecutive
> > loop, I was surprised when my peripheral vision collapsed to the point that
> > all I could see was the instrument panel. Having read about g-induced
> > tunnel vision, greying out, and eventual blacking out, I tried pushing the
> > blood back up to my eyes by tightening the muscles in my legs and abdomen.
> > Magically it worked, and my vision immediately opened back up to normal..
> >
> >
> > In 2013 when this pilot described the visual limitation of seemingly
> > looking thru a tube. I began a research project into learning about what I
> > believed must be a connection between tunnel vision and accidents. While
> > there are there are numerous medical, biological or environmental
> > conditions that can cause tunnel vision. Research shows that the anxiety,
> > stress and fear, pilots feel when they perceive they are facing a
> > life-threatening event, triggers the hypothalamus to activate two systems:
> > the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortical system. The first
> > phase of this is what is known as the fight or flight response
> > (interestingly in some individuals it’s actually an or freeze response).
> > The stress hormones adrenalin and noradrenalin from the adrenal medulla
> > along with approximately 30 hormones from the adrenal cortex enter the
> > blood stream. The heart rate and blood pressure rise, preparing the body
> > to deal with the threat. With a heart rate elevated to 115-145 BPM,
> > complex motor skills, visual reaction times and cognitive reaction times
> > are at their peak. However, between 145-175 mental and physical
> > performance begins to suffer dramatically. Tunnel vision, loss of
> > peripheral vision, loss of depth perception, auditory exclusion, the
> > slowing down or speeding up of time as well a decay in complex motor skills
> > are common. At heart rates above 175 BPM even a well-trained combatant
> > experiences a catastrophic break down of mental and physical performance
> > and most combatants experience bladder and bowl voiding.
> >
> > I realize that lacking any name recognition in the soaring community this
> > article may well fall on deaf ears. I believe the best I can hope for is
> > that some small percentage of pilots and instructors, will be intrigued
> > enough to do their own research on this subject. If they see the value in
> > it, they will start a grass roots movement to have it pushed thru and
> > addressed at a national level.
> >
> > For those pilots who believe they are too good to be susceptible to this
> > phenomenon. Best wishes
> >
> > For those pilots who believe they quite susceptible to this issue. Seek
> > out an exceptional instructor who can challenge your skills and expand your
> > comfort level with diverse training
> >
> > I believe that shedding light on what should be a serious safety concern
> > for all pilots, was an important first step.
> >
> > Learn to recognize your signs of stress/anxiety, practice tactical
> > breathing as an aid in calming down.
> >
> > Take corrective action immediately when available to mitigate the
> > stressor.
> >
> > During landings learn to consciously and regularly look left and right
> > during the approach to help prevent or brake tunnel vision. Verbalizing
> > what you see and your intentions (even when solo) helps prevent tunnel
> > vision.
> >
> > Invest in a wearable heart rate monitor and use it regularly to gauge your
> > own stress levels, pay special attention to its recording following
> > emergency training or off field landings. Lend it to other fellow pilots.
> >
> >
> > This age of technology provides us with a slew of wearable heart rate
> > monitors, some relatively cheap and some rather exotic and expensive.
> > There are watches available that constantly display current heart rate,
> > record your daily heart rate information, have settable alarms and even
> > blue tooth to smart phones that display current heart rate information.
> > The FitBit AltaHR is but one of numerous wearable wrist band heart rate
> > monitors that send continuous current heart rate to an Iphone. Most
> > instructors would value being able to have some real insight into their
> > students stress levels during flight training, particularly during
> > emergency maneuvers. Viewing pertinent data post flight could be an
> > invaluable tool for the student and instructor.
> >
> > I give John Cochran credit for being willing to voice his opinions
> > regarding contest safety issues. Maybe he can convince some contest pilots
> > to wear heart rate monitors, so there can be some hard data to share
> > regarding pilot stress levels during low saves.
> >
> > Having been involved as a soaring FBO, instructor and examiner for over a
> > quarter century. I always took great pride in the fact that I provided
> > students a level of training that assured their safety, as opposed to just
> > meeting the FAA’s published minimums. I slept well at night, knowing I
> > should never have a student come thru the door in a wheel chair and ask
> > “why didn’t you teach me about that”. This article is my final
> > installment in that process.
> >
> > Get high, go far, go fast and come home safe.
> >
> > Marty Eiler
>
> While the article is about a physical phenomenon, the sequence started with a poorly planned approach, did it not? Entering downwind before having checked the operation of the spoilers, too low to reach the runway if they stick open - apparently as normal practice.

Checking the spoilers *before* you're on downwind, probably even further away from the airfield, does not improve the situation if they stick open.

You only want to check the spoilers after you are in spoilers-stuck-open range of a landable place on the field. Which, I would suggest, means you're not only already on downwind, but you've preferably got a decent amount of the field behind your wing, so you have the option of turning 90 degrees towards the field immediately, and then deciding based on how the sight picture is changing whether you are now on base, or on a crosswind final.

If the spoilers are stuck closed then you still have plenty of time to widen your downwind and/or extend it to execute a slipping approach.

[son_of_flubber]

On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 6:30:09 AM UTC-5, soarin wrote:

> With a heart rate elevated to 115-145 BPM,
> complex motor skills, visual reaction times and cognitive reaction times
> are at their peak. However, between 145-175 mental and physical
> performance begins to suffer dramatically.

I've no problem with the general idea, but since the author suggests the use of a heart rate monitor to measure stress level in the cockpit, I question the applicability of these specific numbers to pilots of different ages and fitness levels.

Talking averages... A 70 year old pilot would have a maximum heart rate of 220 - 70 = 150 bpm. I'd guess that he would experience debilitating stress well below 145 bpm. A 20 year old pilot would have a maximum heart rate of 220 - 20 = 200 bpm.

I'm not trying to say anything authoritative. I'm just questioning the numbers presented.

Source for calculation of maximum heart rate:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-intensity/art-20046887?pg=2

"to calculate your maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from 220. For example, if you're 45 years old, subtract 45 from 220 to get a maximum heart rate of 175."

[[email protected]]

Very interesting discussion with a lot to think about.

I'd just like to make one caution which is do not try to use absolute values of HR to measure anything. A more reliable measure is % of max HR. There is much more variability in maximum HR between healthy individuals than the commonly quoted (and discounted in peer reviewed articles) formulas suggest. I'm a healthy fit 57 yr old male who exercises regularly with a max HR of over 200, with a similar aged friend who has a max HR under 170. Interestingly both of us have resting heart rates around 60.

I'd be very interested to see a reference to the source of the HR ranges published above, not that a problem with the value of the given ranges matters to the underlying thesis which is well worth exploring.

On Monday, March 5, 2018 at 6:04:58 AM UTC+10, son_of_flubber wrote:
> On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 6:30:09 AM UTC-5, soarin wrote:
>
> > With a heart rate elevated to 115-145 BPM,
> > complex motor skills, visual reaction times and cognitive reaction times
> > are at their peak. However, between 145-175 mental and physical
> > performance begins to suffer dramatically.
>
> I've no problem with the general idea, but since the author suggests the use of a heart rate monitor to measure stress level in the cockpit, I question the applicability of these specific numbers to pilots of different ages and fitness levels.
>
> Talking averages... A 70 year old pilot would have a maximum heart rate of 220 - 70 = 150 bpm. I'd guess that he would experience debilitating stress well below 145 bpm. A 20 year old pilot would have a maximum heart rate of 220 - 20 = 200 bpm.
>
> I'm not trying to say anything authoritative. I'm just questioning the numbers presented.
>
> Source for calculation of maximum heart rate:
>
> https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-intensity/art-20046887?pg=2
>
> "to calculate your maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from 220. For example, if you're 45 years old, subtract 45 from 220 to get a maximum heart rate of 175."

[jfitch]

On Sunday, March 4, 2018 at 8:31:13 AM UTC-8, Bruce Hoult wrote:
> On Sunday, March 4, 2018 at 6:45:53 PM UTC+3, jfitch wrote:
> > On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 3:30:09 AM UTC-8, soarin wrote:
> > > https://www.dropbox.com/s/vjsws679vxr7g69/Stress-Anxiety%20Driven%20Accidents.docx?dl=0
> > >
> > > above is a Drop box link to this article for easier reading
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > March 3,2018
> > >
> > > Stress/Anxiety Driven Accidents
> > >
> > > For clarity, all references to tunnel vision in this article relate to an
> > > actual visual impairment, where the individual can only properly focus on
> > > objects in a narrow “tunnel-like" field. Sometimes referred to as
> > > "peripheral vision loss" or “reduced visual perception”. Which is
> > > totally different than the mental tunnel vision often inferred to as a
> > > contributing cause in accidents, which can be defined as one’s tendency
> > > to focus on a single goal or point of view.
> > >
> > > On a BFR flight in the spring of 2013, I sat in the back seat of a Grob 103
> > > as one of our most respected high time xc pilots silently dealt with what
> > > should have been a simple (simulated) spoilers failed full open landing.
> > > Just prior to turning downwind when the pilot checked his spoilers, I
> > > alerted him to the fact that I was holding the spoilers open to simulate a
> > > mechanical failure. He proceeded to turn downwind at the normal location,
> > > altitude and airspeed, then ask “if he still needed to use some slip
> > > during the landing as previously requested”. I replied “no, you’re
> > > now dealing with a simulated emergency, just make a safe landing on the
> > > airport. (For those unfamiliar with a Grob 103, with full spoilers at 60
> > > kts the rate of descent is close to 1200 feet per minute). Not
> > > surprisingly after a few moments on downwind the pilot became aware of our
> > > rapid altitude loss and without saying anything he immediately turned base.
> > >
> > >
> > > At this point, I assumed he had given up on the glider runway and was now
> > > planning to land on the closer parallel main runway. Apparently, he could
> > > not see that our L/D was not going to get us to the runway, let alone have
> > > the remaining altitude necessary to then turn finale and land. I refrained
> > > from commenting fully expecting that at any moment he would announce that
> > > he needs to close the spoilers to make a safe landing, but silently he
> > > pressed on seemingly undaunted by the decaying situation. Finally at a
> > > point 200 feet North of the runway half way thru a rapidly descending left
> > > turn to final and with the left tip less than a half wingspan from the
> > > ground. I loudly barked “my glider” as I slammed the spoilers closed,
> > > arrested the descent and leveled the wings to maneuver and land on the
> > > runway then to roll up and stop at the mid field taxiway. I was
> > > dumbfounded and clueless as to how such a qualified pilot could have been
> > > completely oblivious to the fact that he was but a few heartbeats away from
> > > destroying the glider and likely crippling or killing us both. Our post
> > > landing debrief was eye opening to say the least.
> > >
> > > question: “when I took the glider how high do you think our left tip was
> > > above the ground”
> > >
> > > reply: “I’m not sure but I thought we were ok and maybe fifty feet
> > > above the ground”
> > >
> > > question: “at the moment I took the glider, where were you looking”
> > >
> > > reply: he raised his right hand putting his thumb and index finger
> > > together to make circle to look thru and stated “I was looking at where I
> > > wanted to go on the runway and it was like I was looking thru a tube”
> > >
> > > question: “did you feel like you were stressed during that landing”
> > >
> > > reply: “I definitely had a lot of anxiety”
> > >
> > > His description of seemingly looking thru a tube, sounded remarkably
> > > similar to what I had experienced back in 1988 on one of my first glider
> > > rides. A local pilot wanted to fly the Grob 103 from the back seat, so I
> > > went along as front seat ballast. Briefly into his second consecutive
> > > loop, I was surprised when my peripheral vision collapsed to the point that
> > > all I could see was the instrument panel. Having read about g-induced
> > > tunnel vision, greying out, and eventual blacking out, I tried pushing the
> > > blood back up to my eyes by tightening the muscles in my legs and abdomen.
> > > Magically it worked, and my vision immediately opened back up to normal.
> > >
> > >
> > > In 2013 when this pilot described the visual limitation of seemingly
> > > looking thru a tube. I began a research project into learning about what I
> > > believed must be a connection between tunnel vision and accidents. While
> > > there are there are numerous medical, biological or environmental
> > > conditions that can cause tunnel vision. Research shows that the anxiety,
> > > stress and fear, pilots feel when they perceive they are facing a
> > > life-threatening event, triggers the hypothalamus to activate two systems:
> > > the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortical system. The first
> > > phase of this is what is known as the fight or flight response
> > > (interestingly in some individuals it’s actually an or freeze response).
> > > The stress hormones adrenalin and noradrenalin from the adrenal medulla
> > > along with approximately 30 hormones from the adrenal cortex enter the
> > > blood stream. The heart rate and blood pressure rise, preparing the body
> > > to deal with the threat. With a heart rate elevated to 115-145 BPM,
> > > complex motor skills, visual reaction times and cognitive reaction times
> > > are at their peak. However, between 145-175 mental and physical
> > > performance begins to suffer dramatically. Tunnel vision, loss of
> > > peripheral vision, loss of depth perception, auditory exclusion, the
> > > slowing down or speeding up of time as well a decay in complex motor skills
> > > are common. At heart rates above 175 BPM even a well-trained combatant
> > > experiences a catastrophic break down of mental and physical performance
> > > and most combatants experience bladder and bowl voiding.
> > >
> > > I realize that lacking any name recognition in the soaring community this
> > > article may well fall on deaf ears. I believe the best I can hope for is
> > > that some small percentage of pilots and instructors, will be intrigued
> > > enough to do their own research on this subject. If they see the value in
> > > it, they will start a grass roots movement to have it pushed thru and
> > > addressed at a national level.
> > >
> > > For those pilots who believe they are too good to be susceptible to this
> > > phenomenon. Best wishes
> > >
> > > For those pilots who believe they quite susceptible to this issue. Seek
> > > out an exceptional instructor who can challenge your skills and expand your
> > > comfort level with diverse training
> > >
> > > I believe that shedding light on what should be a serious safety concern
> > > for all pilots, was an important first step.
> > >
> > > Learn to recognize your signs of stress/anxiety, practice tactical
> > > breathing as an aid in calming down.
> > >
> > > Take corrective action immediately when available to mitigate the
> > > stressor.
> > >
> > > During landings learn to consciously and regularly look left and right
> > > during the approach to help prevent or brake tunnel vision. Verbalizing
> > > what you see and your intentions (even when solo) helps prevent tunnel
> > > vision.
> > >
> > > Invest in a wearable heart rate monitor and use it regularly to gauge your
> > > own stress levels, pay special attention to its recording following
> > > emergency training or off field landings. Lend it to other fellow pilots.
> > >
> > >
> > > This age of technology provides us with a slew of wearable heart rate
> > > monitors, some relatively cheap and some rather exotic and expensive.
> > > There are watches available that constantly display current heart rate,
> > > record your daily heart rate information, have settable alarms and even
> > > blue tooth to smart phones that display current heart rate information.
> > > The FitBit AltaHR is but one of numerous wearable wrist band heart rate
> > > monitors that send continuous current heart rate to an Iphone. Most
> > > instructors would value being able to have some real insight into their
> > > students stress levels during flight training, particularly during
> > > emergency maneuvers. Viewing pertinent data post flight could be an
> > > invaluable tool for the student and instructor.
> > >
> > > I give John Cochran credit for being willing to voice his opinions
> > > regarding contest safety issues. Maybe he can convince some contest pilots
> > > to wear heart rate monitors, so there can be some hard data to share
> > > regarding pilot stress levels during low saves.
> > >
> > > Having been involved as a soaring FBO, instructor and examiner for over a
> > > quarter century. I always took great pride in the fact that I provided
> > > students a level of training that assured their safety, as opposed to just
> > > meeting the FAA’s published minimums. I slept well at night, knowing I
> > > should never have a student come thru the door in a wheel chair and ask
> > > “why didn’t you teach me about that”. This article is my final
> > > installment in that process.
> > >
> > > Get high, go far, go fast and come home safe.
> > >
> > > Marty Eiler
> >
> > While the article is about a physical phenomenon, the sequence started with a poorly planned approach, did it not? Entering downwind before having checked the operation of the spoilers, too low to reach the runway if they stick open - apparently as normal practice.
>
> Checking the spoilers *before* you're on downwind, probably even further away from the airfield, does not improve the situation if they stick open.
>
> You only want to check the spoilers after you are in spoilers-stuck-open range of a landable place on the field. Which, I would suggest, means you're not only already on downwind, but you've preferably got a decent amount of the field behind your wing, so you have the option of turning 90 degrees towards the field immediately, and then deciding based on how the sight picture is changing whether you are now on base, or on a crosswind final.
>
> If the spoilers are stuck closed then you still have plenty of time to widen your downwind and/or extend it to execute a slipping approach.

As I said: "Entering downwind before having checked the operation of the spoilers, **too low to reach the runway if they stick open**". You either need to be higher, or closer to the field, if stuck open spoilers causes panic..

I still think that while *some* practice managing stress levels might be of some value, *good* practice in managing the glider is of much more value.

[Soarin Again[_2_]]

At 21:36 04 March 2018, wrote:
>Very interesting discussion with a lot to think about.=20
>
>I'd just like to make one caution which is do not try to use absolute
>value=
>s of HR to measure anything. A more reliable measure is % of max HR.
There
>=
>is much more variability in maximum HR between healthy individuals than
>the=
> commonly quoted (and discounted in peer reviewed articles) formulas
>sugges=
>t. I'm a healthy fit 57 yr old male who exercises regularly with a max HR
>o=
>f over 200, with a similar aged friend who has a max HR under 170.
>Interest=
>ingly both of us have resting heart rates around 60.=20
>
>I'd be very interested to see a reference to the source of the HR ranges
>pu=
>blished above, not that a problem with the value of the given ranges
>matter=
>s to the underlying thesis which is well worth exploring.
>
>On Monday, March 5, 2018 at 6:04:58 AM UTC+10, son_of_flubber wrote:
>> On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 6:30:09 AM UTC-5, soarin wrote:
>>=20
>> > With a heart rate elevated to 115-145 BPM,
>> > complex motor skills, visual reaction times and cognitive reaction
>time=
>s
>> > are at their peak. However, between 145-175 mental and physical
>> > performance begins to suffer dramatically.=20
>>=20
>> I've no problem with the general idea, but since the author suggests
the
>=
>use of a heart rate monitor to measure stress level in the cockpit, I
>quest=
>ion the applicability of these specific numbers to pilots of different
>ages=
> and fitness levels.
>>=20
>> Talking averages... A 70 year old pilot would have a maximum heart rate
>o=
>f 220 - 70 =3D 150 bpm. I'd guess that he would experience debilitating
>st=
>ress well below 145 bpm. A 20 year old pilot would have a maximum heart
>rat=
>e of 220 - 20 =3D 200 bpm. =20
>>=20
>> I'm not trying to say anything authoritative. I'm just questioning the
>n=
>umbers presented.
>>=20
>> Source for calculation of maximum heart rate:
>>=20
>>
>https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-in=
>tensity/art-20046887?pg=3D2
>>=20
>> "to calculate your maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from 220.
>F=
>or example, if you're 45 years old, subtract 45 from 220 to get a maximum
>h=
>eart rate of 175."

Mark

Sorry for the delayed response, it took me a while going back thru my
rather extensive lists of links, articles and saved pages to find what I
think your looking for in regard to elevated heart rates with exercise as
opposed to elevated heart rate resulting from the fight or flight response.
This link should answer that.

http://scienceline.org/2007/06/ask-hsu-fightorflight/

I will say that throughout my relatively extensive research into this
subject.
It's been a disappointment to not stumble across some psychology paper or
doctoral thesis that provides all of this data in one source. The majority
of my information has been gleaned from articles relating to police, fire
and military training. While there is no doubt in my mind that there is a
link between the fight or flight response, tunnel vision and glider
accidents. But without tangible proof, it's just a reasonable hypothesis.
But there are allot of glider pilots in the world and if enough of us
start collecting and saving data, maybe eventually some college or
institution will step up and take it on as a project. In the mean time if
anyone finds anything worthwhile relating to this subject, by all means
forward it to me at

[Chris Rowland[_2_]]

Are people really suggesting fitting a heart rate monitor and using it in
flight?

Someone is having a difficult time, their heart rate is going up and then a
heart rate warning comes up. This has now added something else for them to
cope with, thus increasing the prospect of getting overloaded.

Chris

At 21:36 04 March 2018, wrote:
>Very interesting discussion with a lot to think about.=20
>
>I'd just like to make one caution which is do not try to use absolute
>value=
>s of HR to measure anything. A more reliable measure is % of max HR.
There
>=
>is much more variability in maximum HR between healthy individuals than
>the=
> commonly quoted (and discounted in peer reviewed articles) formulas
>sugges=
>t. I'm a healthy fit 57 yr old male who exercises regularly with a max HR
>o=
>f over 200, with a similar aged friend who has a max HR under 170.
>Interest=
>ingly both of us have resting heart rates around 60.=20
>
>I'd be very interested to see a reference to the source of the HR ranges
>pu=
>blished above, not that a problem with the value of the given ranges
>matter=
>s to the underlying thesis which is well worth exploring.
>
>On Monday, March 5, 2018 at 6:04:58 AM UTC+10, son_of_flubber wrote:
>> On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 6:30:09 AM UTC-5, soarin wrote:
>>=20
>> > With a heart rate elevated to 115-145 BPM,
>> > complex motor skills, visual reaction times and cognitive reaction
>time=
>s
>> > are at their peak. However, between 145-175 mental and physical
>> > performance begins to suffer dramatically.=20
>>=20
>> I've no problem with the general idea, but since the author suggests
the
>=
>use of a heart rate monitor to measure stress level in the cockpit, I
>quest=
>ion the applicability of these specific numbers to pilots of different
>ages=
> and fitness levels.
>>=20
>> Talking averages... A 70 year old pilot would have a maximum heart rate
>o=
>f 220 - 70 =3D 150 bpm. I'd guess that he would experience debilitating
>st=
>ress well below 145 bpm. A 20 year old pilot would have a maximum heart
>rat=
>e of 220 - 20 =3D 200 bpm. =20
>>=20
>> I'm not trying to say anything authoritative. I'm just questioning the
>n=
>umbers presented.
>>=20
>> Source for calculation of maximum heart rate:
>>=20
>>
>https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-in=
>tensity/art-20046887?pg=3D2
>>=20
>> "to calculate your maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from 220.
>F=
>or example, if you're 45 years old, subtract 45 from 220 to get a maximum
>h=
>eart rate of 175."
>
>

[Chris Rowland[_2_]]

All I know about this is what you post but there are a couple of questions
that occur to me:

Did the CFI realise that the glider was about to enter a spin after the
rope break at 300'?

If he was aware that the glider was about to spin did did he then let the
P2 continue into a spin? At 300'?

Chris

At 00:49 04 March 2018, son_of_flubber wrote:
>On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 6:30:09 AM UTC-5, soarin wrote:
>>=20
>> On a BFR flight in the spring of 2013, I sat in the back seat of a Grob
>1=
>03
>> as one of our most respected high time xc pilots silently dealt with
what
>> should have been a simple (simulated) spoilers failed full open
landing.
>
>Back in 2011, I was a student glider pilot. Standing on the field I
>watche=
>d 'one of our most respected high time xc pilots' fail to respond
>correctly=
> to a 'simulated rope break' at 300 AGL during his Flight Review. I
>watche=
>d the glider enter an incipient spin and disappear behind a line of
trees.
>=
> To my untrained eye, it looked to be flying straight down.=20
>
>The CFI recovered from the dive at the very last second, flared, rolled
>uph=
>ill about 50 feet, and put a wing tip down to ground loop (to avert
>collisi=
>on with an immovable object). Wing spar bent. No injuries. That was
the
>=
>pilot-under-review's last flight in a glider.
>
>I will probably never be a respected high time XC pilot, but when it
comes
>=
>time hang up my wings, I sincerely hope that I quit BEFORE I kill a
flight
>=
>instructor, a tow pilot, or anyone else.
>

[[email protected]]

Interesting stuff, Thank you Marty for bringing it up. The professional aviation safety method of incremental exposure to scary stuff to build tolerance for the really scary stuff and a weekend of professional simulator training every 6 months doesn't scale down to us hobby pilots. Also have to point out, pledging allegiance to the rule book will not guarantee you don't experience a high stress event in the air.
Daily meditation is supposed to improve the ability to function under high stress, too hippy for me.
Stoicism also reduces stress. Just tell yourself you aren't going to survive this season/contest/instructional flight. And you will be more relaxed thus fly safer. Sounds dark. But it works. Those old guys knew a thing or two.
The Armed forces have had success with teaching simple breathing exercises. At peak heart rate people are uncoordinated, partially blind, sometimes deaf, and incredibly dumb.
Consciously regulating breathing brings people back to where they can function at a high level. Conscious breath control is probably the best, teachable, immediately available, universal technique for dealing with stress.
I have flown with a spire wearable. Spire measures respiration and can be set to alert you to mental states that correlate to breathing patterns. The stress alert while flying is mildly amusing. Comparing the respiration log and flight log postflight and seeing when there was focus, relaxation and stress is more interesting. Doubt wearables are useful as an inflight warning system.
Stress management is worthy discussion, except thinking about this stuff can be hard on the ego.

[son_of_flubber]

On Monday, March 5, 2018 at 10:36:02 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> Spire measures respiration

If I got this right, Spire is a wearable, logging, accelerometer. It infers respiration from the acceleration caused by chest movement. Does it not get confused in turbulence when in a plane?

I read that if you wear it while running, it stops inferring respiration and starts to count jolts as steps. Does it switch over to 'step counting mode' in a glider?

If it does what the marketing says, it is amazing tech, but it seems 'too good to be true'.

[[email protected]]

On Monday, March 5, 2018 at 10:36:02 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> The professional aviation safety method of incremental exposure to scary stuff to build tolerance for the really scary stuff and a weekend of professional simulator training every 6 months doesn't scale down to us hobby pilots.

Actually it can. The glider flight simulations available today can be used to effectively and repeatedly expose pilots to situations too dangerous to perform in real aircraft. Experience is the key here, and experience is built through repetition. The brain needs to have repeatedly "seen", and therefore learned to recognize, and learned to deal with situations until they seem familiar, and therefore no longer threatening. Early recognition of a situation is key to preventing it from getting any worse.

Simulation is an effective tool in the hands of a competent instructor, but it can also be used as a proficiency maintenance tool by rated pilots serious about their longevity.

Those who would argue a simulation will not produce the same level of stress as occurs in a real aircraft have likely never tried it. The brain cares only about its perceived environment, not its actual environment. If you have ever seen the involuntary physical contortions of someone flying even a desktop simulation, as their brain attempts to resolve what it is seeing on the monitor, you know what I mean. On more than one occasion I have had to wipe the sweat off my desktop joystick after having put someone through a stress-inducing scenario.

The solution lies in the number of times the pilot's brain has seen and dealt with a given situation. Simulation is an effective and efficient way to provide our brains with the requisite number of experiences.

Respectfully submitted for your consideration.

Scott Manley - 3167160CFI-G

[jfitch]

On Monday, March 5, 2018 at 7:36:02 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> Interesting stuff, Thank you Marty for bringing it up. The professional aviation safety method of incremental exposure to scary stuff to build tolerance for the really scary stuff and a weekend of professional simulator training every 6 months doesn't scale down to us hobby pilots. Also have to point out, pledging allegiance to the rule book will not guarantee you don't experience a high stress event in the air.
> Daily meditation is supposed to improve the ability to function under high stress, too hippy for me.
> Stoicism also reduces stress. Just tell yourself you aren't going to survive this season/contest/instructional flight. And you will be more relaxed thus fly safer. Sounds dark. But it works. Those old guys knew a thing or two.
> The Armed forces have had success with teaching simple breathing exercises. At peak heart rate people are uncoordinated, partially blind, sometimes deaf, and incredibly dumb.
> Consciously regulating breathing brings people back to where they can function at a high level. Conscious breath control is probably the best, teachable, immediately available, universal technique for dealing with stress.
> I have flown with a spire wearable. Spire measures respiration and can be set to alert you to mental states that correlate to breathing patterns. The stress alert while flying is mildly amusing. Comparing the respiration log and flight log postflight and seeing when there was focus, relaxation and stress is more interesting. Doubt wearables are useful as an inflight warning system.
> Stress management is worthy discussion, except thinking about this stuff can be hard on the ego.

I was talking to the MH guys, and they said they can reliably predict panic by the respiration rates tracked by the MH O2 control. They don't know what to do with the info. I'm pretty sure I don't want red lights and horns sounding during a panic attack, it would be better to have the "Bitching Betty" voice synthesizer say in a loud, calm voice: "Panic, Panic, Panic" and then start playing some calming new age muzak.....

[Waveguru]

Maybe the MH guys can provide some kind of stress relief?

http://alturl.com/uwdah

Boggs

[Ramy[_2_]]

Or a more practical solution will be for your EDS to automatically switch to the nitrox bottle when it detects stress...

Ramy

[[email protected]]

On Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at 4:13:36 PM UTC-6, Ramy wrote:
> Or a more practical solution will be for your EDS to automatically switch to the nitrox bottle when it detects stress...
>
> Ramy

I heard sucking on a candy will help. Heading to the basement now to build my "Automatic Pez-Dispenser".
Herb

[Matt Herron Jr.]

can anyone suggest a list of emergency situations that can be tried with Condor?

[Daniel Sazhin[_2_]]

On Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 1:14:09 PM UTC-5, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> can anyone suggest a list of emergency situations that can be tried with Condor?

Low altitude rope break
Thermalling too low near ridges
Stall/spin at low altitude
Non-standard landing patterns
Low final glides
Joining a ridge too low (before it gets steep)
Wind too weak on ridges

Just to name a few that come to mind.

All the best,
Daniel

[Matt Herron Jr.]

On Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 10:33:48 AM UTC-8, Daniel Sazhin wrote:
> On Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 1:14:09 PM UTC-5, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> > can anyone suggest a list of emergency situations that can be tried with Condor?
>
> Low altitude rope break
> Thermalling too low near ridges
> Stall/spin at low altitude
> Non-standard landing patterns
> Low final glides
> Joining a ridge too low (before it gets steep)
> Wind too weak on ridges
>
> Just to name a few that come to mind.
>
> All the best,
> Daniel

Thanks Daniel!

[Chris Rowland[_2_]]

At 20:21 07 March 2018, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
>On Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 10:33:48 AM UTC-8, Daniel Sazhin wrote:
>> On Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 1:14:09 PM UTC-5, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
>> > can anyone suggest a list of emergency situations that can be tried
>with Condor?
>>
>> Low altitude rope break
>> Thermalling too low near ridges
>> Stall/spin at low altitude
>> Non-standard landing patterns
>> Low final glides
>> Joining a ridge too low (before it gets steep)
>> Wind too weak on ridges
>>
>> Just to name a few that come to mind.
>>
>> All the best,
>> Daniel
>
>Thanks Daniel!
>
These are all things where it would be really good to use a simulator but
will the current simulators do a good job?

They mostly need some combination of wide field of view, so you can see
your landing area when it's alongside and disappearing behind, and high
resolution, so you get good distance perception. For stall/spin training
the sensations can be overwhelming and a fixed simulator can't deliver
that.

Chris

[Jim Meade]

Here is the result of a simulator experiment conducted for the U.S. Navy by a professor at the University of Iowa.
The objective is to see if a simulator can be used to more safely and cheaply train jet fighter pilots in missions.
The test bed is a Czech L-29 jet trainer with the trainee in the rear seat viewing a flat screen panel that can be programmed to emulate (in this case) an F-18 panel, and a safety pilot in the front seat.
Extensive measurements were taken.
It's not such a long paper.
My uneducated take from the paper as it relates to stress and physiological response is that heart rate is a very good approximation of work load and that a narrow input screen results in a higher heart rate than a broader screen. In other words, it appears to me that the a pilot with good vision and I assume good situational awareness has a lower heart rate than one with a limited vision view and perhaps less situational awareness.
I don't know how to link to a .pdf file, sorry. Here is the title.
"Neuroergonomic Assessment of Simulator Fidelity in an
Aviation Centric Live Virtual Constructive (LVC)
Application
Tom Schnell1, Alex Postnikov2, and Nancy Hamel3
1 Operator Performance Laboratory (OPL), University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA
2 Advanced Technology Center, Rockwell Collins, 400 Collins Rd.,
Cedar Rapids, IA 52498, USA
3 Advanced Infoneering, Inc., 433 Hwy 1 W, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA"

5 Conclusions
The CATS neurocognitive, physiological workload measurement package described
in this paper has performed very well in our flight simulator and instrumented fighter
jet trainer. State-of-the-art active shielding electrodes have helped us to mitigate the
effects of adverse noise and signal acquisition. In our experiment we have
demonstrated that this package can be rapidly deployed on the pilot was performing I
dynamics tactical maneuvering in the real fighter jet training aircraft. Perhaps the
most significant conclusion of this paper is that heart rate appears to be a reliable, yet
simple method to characterize pilot workload demand.

[Bruce Hoult]

On Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 6:05:44 PM UTC-8, Jim Meade wrote:
> Here is the result of a simulator experiment conducted for the U.S. Navy by a professor at the University of Iowa.
> The objective is to see if a simulator can be used to more safely and cheaply train jet fighter pilots in missions.
> The test bed is a Czech L-29 jet trainer with the trainee in the rear seat viewing a flat screen panel that can be programmed to emulate (in this case) an F-18 panel, and a safety pilot in the front seat.
> Extensive measurements were taken.
> It's not such a long paper.
> My uneducated take from the paper as it relates to stress and physiological response is that heart rate is a very good approximation of work load and that a narrow input screen results in a higher heart rate than a broader screen. In other words, it appears to me that the a pilot with good vision and I assume good situational awareness has a lower heart rate than one with a limited vision view and perhaps less situational awareness.
> I don't know how to link to a .pdf file, sorry. Here is the title.
> "Neuroergonomic Assessment of Simulator Fidelity in an
> Aviation Centric Live Virtual Constructive (LVC)
> Application
> Tom Schnell1, Alex Postnikov2, and Nancy Hamel3
> 1 Operator Performance Laboratory (OPL), University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA
> 2 Advanced Technology Center, Rockwell Collins, 400 Collins Rd.,
> Cedar Rapids, IA 52498, USA
> 3 Advanced Infoneering, Inc., 433 Hwy 1 W, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA"
>
> 5 Conclusions
> The CATS neurocognitive, physiological workload measurement package described
> in this paper has performed very well in our flight simulator and instrumented fighter
> jet trainer. State-of-the-art active shielding electrodes have helped us to mitigate the
> effects of adverse noise and signal acquisition. In our experiment we have
> demonstrated that this package can be rapidly deployed on the pilot was performing I
> dynamics tactical maneuvering in the real fighter jet training aircraft. Perhaps the
> most significant conclusion of this paper is that heart rate appears to be a reliable, yet
> simple method to characterize pilot workload demand.

You appear to be able to buy it for serious money here:

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-642-21852-1_28

[[email protected]]

On Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 4:30:07 PM UTC-5, Chris Rowland wrote:
> At 20:21 07 March 2018, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> >On Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 10:33:48 AM UTC-8, Daniel Sazhin wrote:
> >> On Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 1:14:09 PM UTC-5, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> >> > can anyone suggest a list of emergency situations that can be tried
> >with Condor?
> >>
> >> Low altitude rope break
> >> Thermalling too low near ridges
> >> Stall/spin at low altitude
> >> Non-standard landing patterns
> >> Low final glides
> >> Joining a ridge too low (before it gets steep)
> >> Wind too weak on ridges
> >>
> >> Just to name a few that come to mind.
> >>
> >> All the best,
> >> Daniel
> >
> >Thanks Daniel!
> >
> These are all things where it would be really good to use a simulator but
> will the current simulators do a good job?

In my ten years using Condor to conduct primary flight training, mostly online, there are very few flight conditions/situations that cannot be replicated with great accuracy.

>
> They mostly need some combination of wide field of view, so you can see
> your landing area when it's alongside and disappearing behind,

While wide field of view would be nice, is not necessary. The available field of view can be adjusted in the desired direction, not unlike turning your head. Redirecting your available field of view is an additional skill that needs to be developed to take full advantage of the simulation, but is well worth the effort and eventually becomes second nature (i.e., subconscious).

I train simulation-based rating candidates to control the available field of view so as to clear the airspace in advance of and during turns, and to keep the landing area in sight throughout the entire landing pattern. I demonstrated this technique during my presentation at the SSA convention in Reno last week.

If you have Condor, I recently published a tutorial on what I call "Wing-Tip Turning" to my website at "gliderCFI.com". Look under the Condor/Orientation drop-down menu. If you have Skype, I would be happy to demonstrate the technique online. Contact me via the contact link at "gliderCFI.com".

and high
> resolution, so you get good distance perception.

Condor's resolution is good enough to provide decent distance perception.

For stall/spin training
> the sensations can be overwhelming and a fixed simulator can't deliver
> that.

Keep in mind that 75% of the sensory input to your brain is visual. Only 6% is tactile (kinesthetic). Properly employed, even Condor's limited field of view can provide a very effective representation of what is like to enter and recovery from a spin. I have personally experienced, and seen others, getting seriously disoriented in simulation as their brains struggled to deal with the visual images on their monitors. The brain adjusts to the size of the monitor.

===

Respectfully submitted for your consideration,

Scott Manley - 316716CFI-G

[Eric Greenwell[_4_]]

son_of_flubber wrote on 3/4/2018 12:04 PM:
> On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 6:30:09 AM UTC-5, soarin wrote:
>
>> With a heart rate elevated to 115-145 BPM,
>> complex motor skills, visual reaction times and cognitive reaction times
>> are at their peak. However, between 145-175 mental and physical
>> performance begins to suffer dramatically.
>
> I've no problem with the general idea, but since the author suggests the use of a heart rate monitor to measure stress level in the cockpit, I question the applicability of these specific numbers to pilots of different ages and fitness levels.
>
> Talking averages... A 70 year old pilot would have a maximum heart rate of 220 - 70 = 150 bpm. I'd guess that he would experience debilitating stress well below 145 bpm. A 20 year old pilot would have a maximum heart rate of 220 - 20 = 200 bpm.
>
> I'm not trying to say anything authoritative. I'm just questioning the numbers presented.
>
> Source for calculation of maximum heart rate:
>
> https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-intensity/art-20046887?pg=2
>
> "to calculate your maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from 220. For example, if you're 45 years old, subtract 45 from 220 to get a maximum heart rate of 175."
>
The heart rate you calculate is for exercising purposes - a way of giving you a
safe rate to plan your exercising without a medical exam or stress test. I very
much doubt the number is useful for the panic/fear stress we are talking about.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorgliders/publications/download-the-guide-1
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Dec 2014a" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm

http://soaringsafety.org/prevention/Guide-to-transponders-in-sailplanes-2014A.pdf

[[email protected]]

Thanks for a very thought provoking article, on a little discussed factor in safety.

[[email protected]]

Mental and physical performance reduction does occur above a heart rate of @145 when that heart rate is stress induced. Equivalent or higher exercise induced heart rates do not have the same reduction on performance. Well trained people are able to maintain skills into the > 145 BPM range. No idea if what most of us do as glider pilots counts as well trained for performing under high stress. I'd guess not.
On Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at 12:03:16 AM UTC-4, Eric Greenwell wrote:
> son_of_flubber wrote on 3/4/2018 12:04 PM:
> > On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 6:30:09 AM UTC-5, soarin wrote:
> >
> >> With a heart rate elevated to 115-145 BPM,
> >> complex motor skills, visual reaction times and cognitive reaction times
> >> are at their peak. However, between 145-175 mental and physical
> >> performance begins to suffer dramatically.
> >
> > I've no problem with the general idea, but since the author suggests the use of a heart rate monitor to measure stress level in the cockpit, I question the applicability of these specific numbers to pilots of different ages and fitness levels.
> >
> > Talking averages... A 70 year old pilot would have a maximum heart rate of 220 - 70 = 150 bpm. I'd guess that he would experience debilitating stress well below 145 bpm. A 20 year old pilot would have a maximum heart rate of 220 - 20 = 200 bpm.
> >
> > I'm not trying to say anything authoritative. I'm just questioning the numbers presented.
> >
> > Source for calculation of maximum heart rate:
> >
> > https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-intensity/art-20046887?pg=2
> >
> > "to calculate your maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from 220. For example, if you're 45 years old, subtract 45 from 220 to get a maximum heart rate of 175."
> >
> The heart rate you calculate is for exercising purposes - a way of giving you a
> safe rate to plan your exercising without a medical exam or stress test. I very
> much doubt the number is useful for the panic/fear stress we are talking about.
>
> --
> Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
> - "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
> https://sites.google.com/site/motorgliders/publications/download-the-guide-1
> - "Transponders in Sailplanes - Dec 2014a" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm
>
> http://soaringsafety.org/prevention/Guide-to-transponders-in-sailplanes-2014A.pdf

[son_of_flubber]

On Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at 7:09:06 AM UTC-4, wrote:
> Mental and physical performance reduction does occur above a heart rate of @145 when that heart rate is stress induced.

I have a hard time believing that 145 bpm is a constant threshold across all ages and fitness levels. Does anyone know of a peer reviewed citation for that magic number? (Facebook and infowars.com do not count as legit 'research'.)

How many 75+ year old hearts can even beat at 145+ bpm? Does the 145 bpm rule make older glider pilots immune from stress induced skill degradation? I think not.

[[email protected]]

Approximately 145. Interesting question does the performance reducing BPM number lower with age or are older folks inoculated against stress related performance decrease because of an inability to jack up their heart rate? Of course no one is going to get review board approval to test stress response in 75+ year olds. Be interesting to replicate limited BPM range with medication and see if performance still declines under stress.
This is an annoying read but discusses some studies of performance under stress. https://www.amazon.com/Combat-Psychology-Physiology-Deadly-Conflict/dp/0964920549
There is a lot of real research out there but as you note the internet is broken, I wouldn't bother looking without medical library access. And not just the military the evil soda merchants spend a lot of money researching this stuff as well. https://www.si.com/edge/2015/05/08/sweat-mecca-red-bull-high-performance-center
Us highspeed hardcore pro sailplane pilots are a sad lot compared to people that take human performance seriously.
On Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at 8:36:01 AM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
> On Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at 7:09:06 AM UTC-4, wrote:
> > Mental and physical performance reduction does occur above a heart rate of @145 when that heart rate is stress induced.
>
> I have a hard time believing that 145 bpm is a constant threshold across all ages and fitness levels. Does anyone know of a peer reviewed citation for that magic number? (Facebook and infowars.com do not count as legit 'research'.)
>
> How many 75+ year old hearts can even beat at 145+ bpm? Does the 145 bpm rule make older glider pilots immune from stress induced skill degradation? I think not.

[Jim White[_3_]]

At 11:09 28 March 2018, wrote:
>Mental and physical performance reduction does occur above a heart rate
of
>=
>@145 when that heart rate is stress induced. Equivalent or What does
knowing that you have a high heart rate do to your stress levels?
Jim

[Soarin Again[_2_]]

At 16:54 28 March 2018, Jim White wrote:
>At 11:09 28 March 2018, wrote:
>>Mental and physical performance reduction does occur above a heart rat
>of
>>=
>>@145 when that heart rate is stress induced. Equivalent or What doe
>knowing that you have a high heart rate do to your stress levels?
>Jim

Sympathetic arousal is a physiological response for all mammals.
Generally speaking, in humans the effects can begin at stress driven heart
rates above 145 bpm. It's onset is often insidious and the effects can be
catastrophically debilitating.

In my early years as a flight instructor, the almost universal (yet
questionable) reply from a student who I had just taken the controls from
would be to say "l was just going to do that". As I gained experience, I
gradually realized that most often I could comfortably allow things to
progress to the point where it should have been obvious to the student
that the recovery was well beyond their skill level. Interestingly you
would think that now their response would have been to openly admit
that "yes I was really screwed up there". However the almost universal
response now became "I thought I was okay". It never ceased to amaze
me how clueless they were at seeing the impending consequence in
caparison to their skill level.

I'm now retired from instructing, but knowing now what I didn't know then.
I will always wonder if their impaired perceptions were actually
attributable to the onset of sympathetic arousal. If I was still
instructing,
I would at least have the ability to know what their comparison heart rate
is.

My original intention was to write an article for soaring magazine.
My thanks to the serious replies on RAS. It show that at least some level
of awareness has been raised and that any future article would need to
reflect on that perspective.

Martin Eiler

[Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)]

An actually interesting thread on RAS.

My comment, when I was an active CFIG or letting a ride handle the controls, was, "I will let you get over your head, my goal is to NOT let you get over my head."

Thus far, over decades of rides and about a decade of instruction......no bent ships. Yes, I had a few "experts" get well into the hole, but I always kept a few "outs".
The goal, in general, was NOT to scare the other person, it was either to show how much worse it could get, or, how bad you messed up being an "expert".
As an instructor, the followup conversation was, "what did you see, how did it feel, how did it sound........followed by, what was your plan".

Sometimes that gets you an idea of what needs work.

I was checking out in a Piper Pacer with a CFI that flew with us. The field had an "interesting" approach way back when.
After one landing, I was asked, "how close to the tree tops were we?".
My reply, "maybe 10' "?

The CFI was happy, I knew where we were.
On short final, the towrope would tear the tops off trees and we were staged just beyond. So, being in the right spot at the right speed was paramount depending on weather. You would actually be even with tree tops on either side of final if it was correct, but had a bit below in "the slot".

Interesting subject, makes me think back to other things I have seen over the years and wonder if this topic was a factor.

[john firth]

On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 6:30:09 AM UTC-5, soarin wrote:
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/vjsws679vxr7g69/Stress-Anxiety%20Driven%20Accidents.docx?dl=0
>
> above is a Drop box link to this article for easier reading
>
>
>
>
> March 3,2018
>
> Stress/Anxiety Driven Accidents
>
> For clarity, all references to tunnel vision in this article relate to an
> actual visual impairment, where the individual can only properly focus on
> objects in a narrow “tunnel-like" field. Sometimes referred to as
> "peripheral vision loss" or “reduced visual perception”. Which is
> totally different than the mental tunnel vision often inferred to as a
> contributing cause in accidents, which can be defined as one’s tendency
> to focus on a single goal or point of view.
>
> On a BFR flight in the spring of 2013, I sat in the back seat of a Grob 103
> as one of our most respected high time xc pilots silently dealt with what
> should have been a simple (simulated) spoilers failed full open landing.
> Just prior to turning downwind when the pilot checked his spoilers, I
> alerted him to the fact that I was holding the spoilers open to simulate a
> mechanical failure. He proceeded to turn downwind at the normal location,
> altitude and airspeed, then ask “if he still needed to use some slip
> during the landing as previously requested”. I replied “no, you’re
> now dealing with a simulated emergency, just make a safe landing on the
> airport. (For those unfamiliar with a Grob 103, with full spoilers at 60
> kts the rate of descent is close to 1200 feet per minute). Not
> surprisingly after a few moments on downwind the pilot became aware of our
> rapid altitude loss and without saying anything he immediately turned base.
>
>
> At this point, I assumed he had given up on the glider runway and was now
> planning to land on the closer parallel main runway. Apparently, he could
> not see that our L/D was not going to get us to the runway, let alone have
> the remaining altitude necessary to then turn finale and land. I refrained
> from commenting fully expecting that at any moment he would announce that
> he needs to close the spoilers to make a safe landing, but silently he
> pressed on seemingly undaunted by the decaying situation. Finally at a
> point 200 feet North of the runway half way thru a rapidly descending left
> turn to final and with the left tip less than a half wingspan from the
> ground. I loudly barked “my glider” as I slammed the spoilers closed,
> arrested the descent and leveled the wings to maneuver and land on the
> runway then to roll up and stop at the mid field taxiway. I was
> dumbfounded and clueless as to how such a qualified pilot could have been
> completely oblivious to the fact that he was but a few heartbeats away from
> destroying the glider and likely crippling or killing us both. Our post
> landing debrief was eye opening to say the least.
>
> question: “when I took the glider how high do you think our left tip was
> above the ground”
>
> reply: “I’m not sure but I thought we were ok and maybe fifty feet
> above the ground”
>
> question: “at the moment I took the glider, where were you looking”
>
> reply: he raised his right hand putting his thumb and index finger
> together to make circle to look thru and stated “I was looking at where I
> wanted to go on the runway and it was like I was looking thru a tube”
>
> question: “did you feel like you were stressed during that landing”
>
> reply: “I definitely had a lot of anxiety”
>
> His description of seemingly looking thru a tube, sounded remarkably
> similar to what I had experienced back in 1988 on one of my first glider
> rides. A local pilot wanted to fly the Grob 103 from the back seat, so I
> went along as front seat ballast. Briefly into his second consecutive
> loop, I was surprised when my peripheral vision collapsed to the point that
> all I could see was the instrument panel. Having read about g-induced
> tunnel vision, greying out, and eventual blacking out, I tried pushing the
> blood back up to my eyes by tightening the muscles in my legs and abdomen..
> Magically it worked, and my vision immediately opened back up to normal.
>
>
> In 2013 when this pilot described the visual limitation of seemingly
> looking thru a tube. I began a research project into learning about what I
> believed must be a connection between tunnel vision and accidents. While
> there are there are numerous medical, biological or environmental
> conditions that can cause tunnel vision. Research shows that the anxiety,
> stress and fear, pilots feel when they perceive they are facing a
> life-threatening event, triggers the hypothalamus to activate two systems:
> the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortical system. The first
> phase of this is what is known as the fight or flight response
> (interestingly in some individuals it’s actually an or freeze response).
> The stress hormones adrenalin and noradrenalin from the adrenal medulla
> along with approximately 30 hormones from the adrenal cortex enter the
> blood stream. The heart rate and blood pressure rise, preparing the body
> to deal with the threat. With a heart rate elevated to 115-145 BPM,
> complex motor skills, visual reaction times and cognitive reaction times
> are at their peak. However, between 145-175 mental and physical
> performance begins to suffer dramatically. Tunnel vision, loss of
> peripheral vision, loss of depth perception, auditory exclusion, the
> slowing down or speeding up of time as well a decay in complex motor skills
> are common. At heart rates above 175 BPM even a well-trained combatant
> experiences a catastrophic break down of mental and physical performance
> and most combatants experience bladder and bowl voiding.
>
> I realize that lacking any name recognition in the soaring community this
> article may well fall on deaf ears. I believe the best I can hope for is
> that some small percentage of pilots and instructors, will be intrigued
> enough to do their own research on this subject. If they see the value in
> it, they will start a grass roots movement to have it pushed thru and
> addressed at a national level.
>
> For those pilots who believe they are too good to be susceptible to this
> phenomenon. Best wishes
>
> For those pilots who believe they quite susceptible to this issue. Seek
> out an exceptional instructor who can challenge your skills and expand your
> comfort level with diverse training
>
> I believe that shedding light on what should be a serious safety concern
> for all pilots, was an important first step.
>
> Learn to recognize your signs of stress/anxiety, practice tactical
> breathing as an aid in calming down.
>
> Take corrective action immediately when available to mitigate the
> stressor.
>
> During landings learn to consciously and regularly look left and right
> during the approach to help prevent or brake tunnel vision. Verbalizing
> what you see and your intentions (even when solo) helps prevent tunnel
> vision.
>
> Invest in a wearable heart rate monitor and use it regularly to gauge your
> own stress levels, pay special attention to its recording following
> emergency training or off field landings. Lend it to other fellow pilots..
>
>
> This age of technology provides us with a slew of wearable heart rate
> monitors, some relatively cheap and some rather exotic and expensive.
> There are watches available that constantly display current heart rate,
> record your daily heart rate information, have settable alarms and even
> blue tooth to smart phones that display current heart rate information.
> The FitBit AltaHR is but one of numerous wearable wrist band heart rate
> monitors that send continuous current heart rate to an Iphone. Most
> instructors would value being able to have some real insight into their
> students stress levels during flight training, particularly during
> emergency maneuvers. Viewing pertinent data post flight could be an
> invaluable tool for the student and instructor.
>
> I give John Cochran credit for being willing to voice his opinions
> regarding contest safety issues. Maybe he can convince some contest pilots
> to wear heart rate monitors, so there can be some hard data to share
> regarding pilot stress levels during low saves.
>
> Having been involved as a soaring FBO, instructor and examiner for over a
> quarter century. I always took great pride in the fact that I provided
> students a level of training that assured their safety, as opposed to just
> meeting the FAA’s published minimums. I slept well at night, knowing I
> should never have a student come thru the door in a wheel chair and ask
> “why didn’t you teach me about that”. This article is my final
> installment in that process.
>
> Get high, go far, go fast and come home safe.
>
> Marty Eiler

re" dragging the tow rope through the trees", this is what is called
"tweaking the dragon's tail"; physicists will understand the reference.
if the end wraps around a branch ,
the rope or branch may break but the ground will break the towplane.

JMF

[son_of_flubber]

On Thursday, March 29, 2018 at 11:15:06 AM UTC-4, soarin wrote:

> My original intention was to write an article for soaring magazine.
> My thanks to the serious replies on RAS. It show that at least some level
> of awareness has been raised and that any future article would need to
> reflect on that perspective.
>

Maybe you could team up with Dr. Dan Johnson MD AME who writes the Soaring Rx column for 'Soaring magazine'. Dan has the background in flight physiology and access to the peer reviewed research. http://www.danlj.org/~danlj/
You've raised an interesting idea. I would like to see a Soaring Rx column explore it with scientific rigor.

[Eric Greenwell[_4_]]

son_of_flubber wrote on 3/28/2018 5:35 AM:
> On Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at 7:09:06 AM UTC-4, wrote:
>> Mental and physical performance reduction does occur above a heart rate of @145 when that heart rate is stress induced.
>
> I have a hard time believing that 145 bpm is a constant threshold across all ages and fitness levels. Does anyone know of a peer reviewed citation for that magic number? (Facebook and infowars.com do not count as legit 'research'.)
>
> How many 75+ year old hearts can even beat at 145+ bpm? Does the 145 bpm rule make older glider pilots immune from stress induced skill degradation? I think not.

I'm sure the 145 doesn't apply to everyone! The 145 number is for 75 year olds, is
based on a simple formula, and is only an estimate used to choose a safe heart
rate limits during exercise. It's strictly age-based and the actual safe number
will differ greatly within that age group.

Any 75 year old with above average fitness can reach that heart rate easily just
by running for a few minutes, jumping jacks, etc. I'm 75, modestly fit, and 30
seconds of jumping jacks gets me up to 135 bpm; I'd expect a full minute would
get me to 145. No tunnel vision...

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorgliders/publications/download-the-guide-1
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Dec 2014a" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm

http://soaringsafety.org/prevention/Guide-to-transponders-in-sailplanes-2014A.pdf

[danlj]

This whole thread is a pretty good discussion of the relevant factors.
I've thought about reviving SoaringRx now that I've retired, and the cognitive degradation during stress is petty complicated and interesting.
Like most other causes of inadvertent stupidity, the pilot never has the situation figured out initially.
The heart rate is seldom noticed, is not directly a cause, and is never a clue to the resolution of the crisis.
I agree that training for emergencies, both planned (and, after competence with those) unplanned, will contribute greatly to safety.
In this regard, we simply do not fly often enough.
If I ruled the soaring world, everyone would do about a dozen ground launches to a low pattern once a month or so, to get really used to the way things look down there, get used to a low approach, and to build sick-and-rudder skills. A dozen four-hour flights a year feel good -- but that's only a dozen landings.
Time, cost, and availability of equipment and instructors are all hindrances.
DrDan

[Soarin Again[_2_]]

At 04:15 02 April 2018, danlj wroteOver the years I've found DrDans
articles in soaring magazine to be
informative and enlightening and I was in the process of
communicating with him when I saw his post on RAS.

>This whole thread is a pretty good discussion of the relevant factors.
>I've thought about reviving SoaringRx now that I've retired, and the
>cognitive degradation during stress is petty complicated and interesting.

My initial article was an attempt at bringing to light a serious safety
issue
that to this day has not been addressed or included in flight training or
training manuals. The more knowledgeable I became on this subject
the more stunning it seemed that it is omitted from flight training
manuals. It is a medical fact that sympathetic nervous system arousal
is a normal subconscious response to incidents of high anxiety and
stress. The effects can include issues like loss of peripheral vision,
depth perception, audio exclusion and the slowing down or speeding
up of the perception of time. Lastly the overall effect can be a loss of
situational awareness to the extent that a pilot is incapable of
avoiding an accident because he literally can’t see that it’s
happening.

DrDan’s states that “the cognitive degradation associated with
stress is complicated, interesting and like most other causes of
inadvertent stupidity, the pilot never has the situation figured out
initially”.

For pilots who have been killed or maimed in accidents, where
sympathetic arousal was a factor. That statement is disingenuous
as those pilots were not just being inadvertently stupid.

>The heart rate is seldom noticed, is not directly a cause, and is never
>a clue to the resolution of the crisis.

I never stated or claimed that heart rate was the cause, my contention
has been that heart rate was an indicator and that current technology
now allows us to have real time awareness of our heart rate. If you
don’t know you have a crisis you can’t very well resolve it.

>I agree that training for emergencies, both planned (and, after
>competence with those) unplanned, will contribute greatly to safety.
>In this regard, we simply do not fly often enough. If I ruled the
>soaring world, everyone would do about a dozen ground launches
>to a low pattern once a month or so, to get really used to the way
>things look down there, get used to a low approach, and to
>build sick-and-rudder skills. A dozen four-hour flights a year feel
>good -- but that's only a dozen landings.
>Time, cost, and availability of equipment and instructors are all
>hindrances.
>DrDan

It seems DrDan has closed the potential for further discussion
on this subject. For those pilots who believe this is all poppycock
and they are too good to be bothered by anything as simple
as anxiety or stress, that is your prerogative.

As a flight instructor I’ve always believed we have an obligation
to assure that students are as well informed as possible.
Consequently, if there is any other soaring doctor out there who
feels that this is a credible topic that should become an article in
soaring magazine. Feel free to contact me at
and I will collaborate on an article.

Martin Eiler

[[email protected]]

On Friday, April 6, 2018 at 2:30:08 PM UTC-4, soarin wrote:
> At 04:15 02 April 2018, danlj wroteOver the years I've found DrDans
> articles in soaring magazine to be
> informative and enlightening and I was in the process of
> communicating with him when I saw his post on RAS.
>
> >This whole thread is a pretty good discussion of the relevant factors.
> >I've thought about reviving SoaringRx now that I've retired, and the
> >cognitive degradation during stress is petty complicated and interesting..
>
> My initial article was an attempt at bringing to light a serious safety
> issue
> that to this day has not been addressed or included in flight training or
> training manuals. The more knowledgeable I became on this subject
> the more stunning it seemed that it is omitted from flight training
> manuals. It is a medical fact that sympathetic nervous system arousal
> is a normal subconscious response to incidents of high anxiety and
> stress. The effects can include issues like loss of peripheral vision,
> depth perception, audio exclusion and the slowing down or speeding
> up of the perception of time. Lastly the overall effect can be a loss of
> situational awareness to the extent that a pilot is incapable of
> avoiding an accident because he literally can’t see that it’s
> happening.
>
> DrDan’s states that “the cognitive degradation associated with
> stress is complicated, interesting and like most other causes of
> inadvertent stupidity, the pilot never has the situation figured out
> initially”.
>
> For pilots who have been killed or maimed in accidents, where
> sympathetic arousal was a factor. That statement is disingenuous
> as those pilots were not just being inadvertently stupid.
>
> >The heart rate is seldom noticed, is not directly a cause, and is never
> >a clue to the resolution of the crisis.
>
> I never stated or claimed that heart rate was the cause, my contention
> has been that heart rate was an indicator and that current technology
> now allows us to have real time awareness of our heart rate. If you
> don’t know you have a crisis you can’t very well resolve it.
>
> >I agree that training for emergencies, both planned (and, after
> >competence with those) unplanned, will contribute greatly to safety.
> >In this regard, we simply do not fly often enough. If I ruled the
> >soaring world, everyone would do about a dozen ground launches
> >to a low pattern once a month or so, to get really used to the way
> >things look down there, get used to a low approach, and to
> >build sick-and-rudder skills. A dozen four-hour flights a year feel
> >good -- but that's only a dozen landings.
> >Time, cost, and availability of equipment and instructors are all
> >hindrances.
> >DrDan
>
> It seems DrDan has closed the potential for further discussion
> on this subject. For those pilots who believe this is all poppycock
> and they are too good to be bothered by anything as simple
> as anxiety or stress, that is your prerogative.
>
> As a flight instructor I’ve always believed we have an obligation
> to assure that students are as well informed as possible.
> Consequently, if there is any other soaring doctor out there who
> feels that this is a credible topic that should become an article in
> soaring magazine. Feel free to contact me at
> and I will collaborate on an article.
>
> Martin Eiler

I, like Marty, have been waiting to see if anything useful came out of the thread. So far- not much.
I believe that the stress related narrowing of inputs(tunnel vision in particular)is real.
I also believe that training can reduce this.
How you say?
1- Introduce the pilot/student to the issue by causing a difficult/ stressful situation and observe if the pilot reacts incorrectly. The natural tendency is to "concentrate" on the problem which will result in a lot of attention one thing (I'm really low- or other)to the detriment of other inputs(too close, too high , too slow, too fast, skid, slip, etc) leading to a poor result due to abandoning the basics. Allow the resulting poor result to happen without letting it get to dangerous.
2- After it is over have a conversation about what happened and why. I teach that in a difficult situation "concentration" is exactly the wrong thing to do and that the pilot needs to recognize that it isn't so good and remember to stick with basics, open up and look around,and RELAX.
I learned many years ago(thanks Rolf)that in a strange landing situation, under stress, most of us will get in too close and tight and all jammed up leading to a poor result, especially in an off field landing. Beginners commonly do this in their first field landings. More of these are overshoots than undershoots.
I test that this information has been learned during the prep for PP practical tests by overloading(moderately) and distracting, while adding to test stress(I have to pass with Hank before I can take the flight test). Almost all who have been exposed to the stress simulation in training do just fine.. They also don't have much test stress during the real thing because they already have encountered it.
I hope this is responsive to Marty's inquiry.
FWIW
UH

[john firth]

On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 6:30:09 AM UTC-5, soarin wrote:
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/vjsws679vxr7g69/Stress-Anxiety%20Driven%20Accidents.docx?dl=0
>
> above is a Drop box link to this article for easier reading
>
>
>
>
> March 3,2018
>
> Stress/Anxiety Driven Accidents
>
> For clarity, all references to tunnel vision in this article relate to an
> actual visual impairment, where the individual can only properly focus on
> objects in a narrow “tunnel-like" field. Sometimes referred to as
> "peripheral vision loss" or “reduced visual perception”. Which is
> totally different than the mental tunnel vision often inferred to as a
> contributing cause in accidents, which can be defined as one’s tendency
> to focus on a single goal or point of view.
>
> On a BFR flight in the spring of 2013, I sat in the back seat of a Grob 103
> as one of our most respected high time xc pilots silently dealt with what
> should have been a simple (simulated) spoilers failed full open landing.
> Just prior to turning downwind when the pilot checked his spoilers, I
> alerted him to the fact that I was holding the spoilers open to simulate a
> mechanical failure. He proceeded to turn downwind at the normal location,
> altitude and airspeed, then ask “if he still needed to use some slip
> during the landing as previously requested”. I replied “no, you’re
> now dealing with a simulated emergency, just make a safe landing on the
> airport. (For those unfamiliar with a Grob 103, with full spoilers at 60
> kts the rate of descent is close to 1200 feet per minute). Not
> surprisingly after a few moments on downwind the pilot became aware of our
> rapid altitude loss and without saying anything he immediately turned base.
>
>
> At this point, I assumed he had given up on the glider runway and was now
> planning to land on the closer parallel main runway. Apparently, he could
> not see that our L/D was not going to get us to the runway, let alone have
> the remaining altitude necessary to then turn finale and land. I refrained
> from commenting fully expecting that at any moment he would announce that
> he needs to close the spoilers to make a safe landing, but silently he
> pressed on seemingly undaunted by the decaying situation. Finally at a
> point 200 feet North of the runway half way thru a rapidly descending left
> turn to final and with the left tip less than a half wingspan from the
> ground. I loudly barked “my glider” as I slammed the spoilers closed,
> arrested the descent and leveled the wings to maneuver and land on the
> runway then to roll up and stop at the mid field taxiway. I was
> dumbfounded and clueless as to how such a qualified pilot could have been
> completely oblivious to the fact that he was but a few heartbeats away from
> destroying the glider and likely crippling or killing us both. Our post
> landing debrief was eye opening to say the least.
>
> question: “when I took the glider how high do you think our left tip was
> above the ground”
>
> reply: “I’m not sure but I thought we were ok and maybe fifty feet
> above the ground”
>
> question: “at the moment I took the glider, where were you looking”
>
> reply: he raised his right hand putting his thumb and index finger
> together to make circle to look thru and stated “I was looking at where I
> wanted to go on the runway and it was like I was looking thru a tube”
>
> question: “did you feel like you were stressed during that landing”
>
> reply: “I definitely had a lot of anxiety”
>
> His description of seemingly looking thru a tube, sounded remarkably
> similar to what I had experienced back in 1988 on one of my first glider
> rides. A local pilot wanted to fly the Grob 103 from the back seat, so I
> went along as front seat ballast. Briefly into his second consecutive
> loop, I was surprised when my peripheral vision collapsed to the point that
> all I could see was the instrument panel. Having read about g-induced
> tunnel vision, greying out, and eventual blacking out, I tried pushing the
> blood back up to my eyes by tightening the muscles in my legs and abdomen..
> Magically it worked, and my vision immediately opened back up to normal.
>
>
> In 2013 when this pilot described the visual limitation of seemingly
> looking thru a tube. I began a research project into learning about what I
> believed must be a connection between tunnel vision and accidents. While
> there are there are numerous medical, biological or environmental
> conditions that can cause tunnel vision. Research shows that the anxiety,
> stress and fear, pilots feel when they perceive they are facing a
> life-threatening event, triggers the hypothalamus to activate two systems:
> the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortical system. The first
> phase of this is what is known as the fight or flight response
> (interestingly in some individuals it’s actually an or freeze response).
> The stress hormones adrenalin and noradrenalin from the adrenal medulla
> along with approximately 30 hormones from the adrenal cortex enter the
> blood stream. The heart rate and blood pressure rise, preparing the body
> to deal with the threat. With a heart rate elevated to 115-145 BPM,
> complex motor skills, visual reaction times and cognitive reaction times
> are at their peak. However, between 145-175 mental and physical
> performance begins to suffer dramatically. Tunnel vision, loss of
> peripheral vision, loss of depth perception, auditory exclusion, the
> slowing down or speeding up of time as well a decay in complex motor skills
> are common. At heart rates above 175 BPM even a well-trained combatant
> experiences a catastrophic break down of mental and physical performance
> and most combatants experience bladder and bowl voiding.
>
> I realize that lacking any name recognition in the soaring community this
> article may well fall on deaf ears. I believe the best I can hope for is
> that some small percentage of pilots and instructors, will be intrigued
> enough to do their own research on this subject. If they see the value in
> it, they will start a grass roots movement to have it pushed thru and
> addressed at a national level.
>
> For those pilots who believe they are too good to be susceptible to this
> phenomenon. Best wishes
>
> For those pilots who believe they quite susceptible to this issue. Seek
> out an exceptional instructor who can challenge your skills and expand your
> comfort level with diverse training
>
> I believe that shedding light on what should be a serious safety concern
> for all pilots, was an important first step.
>
> Learn to recognize your signs of stress/anxiety, practice tactical
> breathing as an aid in calming down.
>
> Take corrective action immediately when available to mitigate the
> stressor.
>
> During landings learn to consciously and regularly look left and right
> during the approach to help prevent or brake tunnel vision. Verbalizing
> what you see and your intentions (even when solo) helps prevent tunnel
> vision.
>
> Invest in a wearable heart rate monitor and use it regularly to gauge your
> own stress levels, pay special attention to its recording following
> emergency training or off field landings. Lend it to other fellow pilots..
>
>
> This age of technology provides us with a slew of wearable heart rate
> monitors, some relatively cheap and some rather exotic and expensive.
> There are watches available that constantly display current heart rate,
> record your daily heart rate information, have settable alarms and even
> blue tooth to smart phones that display current heart rate information.
> The FitBit AltaHR is but one of numerous wearable wrist band heart rate
> monitors that send continuous current heart rate to an Iphone. Most
> instructors would value being able to have some real insight into their
> students stress levels during flight training, particularly during
> emergency maneuvers. Viewing pertinent data post flight could be an
> invaluable tool for the student and instructor.
>
> I give John Cochran credit for being willing to voice his opinions
> regarding contest safety issues. Maybe he can convince some contest pilots
> to wear heart rate monitors, so there can be some hard data to share
> regarding pilot stress levels during low saves.
>
> Having been involved as a soaring FBO, instructor and examiner for over a
> quarter century. I always took great pride in the fact that I provided
> students a level of training that assured their safety, as opposed to just
> meeting the FAA’s published minimums. I slept well at night, knowing I
> should never have a student come thru the door in a wheel chair and ask
> “why didn’t you teach me about that”. This article is my final
> installment in that process.
>
> Get high, go far, go fast and come home safe.
>
> Marty Eiler

This seems to be a circular argument.
If you don't know you have a problem, why would your heart rate be elevated?

JMF

[[email protected]]

On Friday, April 6, 2018 at 4:32:09 PM UTC-4, wrote:
>...
> 2- After it is over have a conversation about what happened and why. I teach that in a difficult situation "concentration" is exactly the wrong thing to do and that the pilot needs to recognize that it isn't so good and remember to stick with basics, open up and look around,and RELAX.

Thanks for that insight, unc. But how do you get your students to "relax" under stress? Is it the repetitive exposure to stress, and the post-flight discussions of it, which do that? Do they reduce the stress, or rather help the student recognize its presence and deal with it?

[son_of_flubber]

On Friday, April 6, 2018 at 2:30:08 PM UTC-4, soarin wrote:
>
> It seems DrDan has closed the potential for further discussion
> on this subject.

There seems to be some misunderstanding and conclusion jumping here.

Was your pulse over 140 when you made this post?

[[email protected]]

On Friday, April 6, 2018 at 5:36:33 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> On Friday, April 6, 2018 at 4:32:09 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> >...
> > 2- After it is over have a conversation about what happened and why. I teach that in a difficult situation "concentration" is exactly the wrong thing to do and that the pilot needs to recognize that it isn't so good and remember to stick with basics, open up and look around,and RELAX.
>
> Thanks for that insight, unc. But how do you get your students to "relax" under stress? Is it the repetitive exposure to stress, and the post-flight discussions of it, which do that? Do they reduce the stress, or rather help the student recognize its presence and deal with it?

I try to have them recognize the stressful situation and, in doing so remember to stay with basics. The lesson is that you do not do better by concentrating harder.
It reminds me of the (true) story of a pilot that knew he was on a very marginal glide back to the airport. He concentrated so hard on the glide computer that the first clue he picked up that he was critically low was the flash of the telephone pole he went by in his peripheral vision. Obviously an extreme example.
Another lesson I teach at safety meetings is that when you relax after a high stress time,you will have a period of diminished brain power( I call it post stress stupidity). The antidote is to not allow yourself to relax until the landing, or save, or whatever is over.
FWIW
UH

[Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)]

Since I have gone through this training, and have used it as well......."Train for the worst, hope for the best".
No, I am not saying to think "sweet thoughts and butterflies" lest someone comes back with a remark.
Sometimes it is, at 200', "what would you do if the rope broke right now?". If they hesitate, and conditions allow, yank the release and state, "rope break, now what?".
Again, throw it at them, see what they do.

I have had students throw up their hands and say, "your ship". If I think we have margin, I will put my hands on their shoulders and say, "so we go down together, what do you do next?".

The goal is not to prove I am better.
The goal is not to scare the student.
The goal is not to chase a student off.

The goal is to see what a student will do under pressure while someone else can successfully end the flight. At some point, an instructor has to sign off a student (actually they don't "have to", there are some students that should find something else to do), better to have some clue what said student will do when crap happens.

A bit of stress in a semi controlled situation is a decent barometer of what may happen down the road.

Heck, I have pulled the release, during BFR's/field checks, at 1800'AGL and said, "rope break".
Curious to see the response. Situational awareness is major here.

At the end of any of these flights above, discuss what went well, what may need work. Also find out what the student/testee saw or thought.
Work from there.

[[email protected]]

On Friday, April 6, 2018 at 6:30:11 PM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
> On Friday, April 6, 2018 at 2:30:08 PM UTC-4, soarin wrote:
> >
> > It seems DrDan has closed the potential for further discussion
> > on this subject.
>
> There seems to be some misunderstanding and conclusion jumping here.
>
> Was your pulse over 140 when you made this post?

Right. I don't see why such a reaction to Dr. Dan's post, which actually agreed with a lot of what the detractors said.

Dr. Dan: thank you for your long-time column in Soaring Magazine! And if you do revive it, doubly thanks!