Human Performance & Limitations is not just a subject to be passed in an examination; it is the foundation of safe pilot judgement. This course helps CPL and ATPL learners understand how the human mind and body perform under real aviation conditions — fatigue, workload, stress, hypoxia, spatial disorientation, startle, automation surprise, communication breakdown, and decision pressure.
Instead of relying on rote memorisation, the course focuses on conceptual understanding: why human errors occur, how threats develop, how performance degrades, and how pilots can recognise, manage, and recover from these risks in flight. The aim is to help students move from simply knowing definitions to applying human factors knowledge in realistic operational situations.
Aligned with Safety Matters Foundation’s approach to conceptual CPL/ATPL learning, this LMS course prepares candidates to think like safe aviators — to recognise developing threats, interpret incomplete cues, prioritise correctly, and make sound decisions under pressure.
Curriculum
- 6 Sections
- 24 Lessons
- Lifetime
- Module 1: The Seeing Machine — Vision, Illusions & Spatial Disorientation5
- 1.1Lesson 1: The Black Hole That Ate a 737 — Visual Illusions on Approach
- 1.2Lesson 2: Why Your Inner Ear Lies in Cloud — Spatial Disorientation
- 1.3Lesson 3: The Night Your Eyes Switched Off — Night Vision & Dark Adaptation
- 1.4Lesson 4: The Runway That Wasn’t Where You Thought — Width & Slope Illusions
- 1.5Module 1 Quiz — Vision, Illusions & Spatial Disorientation10 Questions
- Module 2: The Breathing Machine — Hypoxia, Pressurisation & G-Forces4
- Module 3: The Tired Machine — Fatigue, Sleep & Circadian Rhythms5
- Module 4: The Thinking Machine — Decision-Making, Biases & Situational Awareness6
- 4.1Lesson 13: The Tunnel That Trapped a Crew — Cognitive Fixation
- 4.2Lesson 14: When Your Brain Takes Shortcuts — Cognitive Biases
- 4.3Lesson 15: Too Much, Too Fast — Workload & Attention
- 4.4Lesson 16: The Picture in Your Head — Situational Awareness
- 4.5Lesson 17: Startle — The 4 Seconds That Change Everything
- 4.6Module 4 Quiz — Decision-Making, Biases & Situational Awareness10 Questions
- Module 5: The Talking Machine — CRM, Communication & Leadership5
- 5.1Lesson 18: The Moment Nobody Spoke Up — Authority Gradient
- 5.2Lesson 19: What CRM Really Means — Beyond the Textbook
- 5.3Lesson 20: The Words That Save Lives — Communication in the Cockpit
- 5.4Lesson 21: Leading From the Left Seat — Leadership & Followership
- 5.5Module 5 Quiz — CRM, Communication & Leadership10 Questions
- Module 6: The Error Machine — Human Error, TEM & Safety Culture5
- 6.1Lesson 22: The Holes in the Cheese — Reason’s Swiss Cheese Model
- 6.2Lesson 23: Threat and Error Management — TEM in Practice
- 6.3Lesson 24: Automation Surprise — When the Computer Does What You Didn’t Expect
- 6.4Lesson 25: Just Culture — Why Blame Kills Safety
- 6.5Module 6 Quiz — Human Error, TEM & Safety Culture10 Questions
Instructor
I’m a published author and airline captain with over 35 years in civil aviation and 18,000+ flight hours on the Boeing 777 and Airbus A320.
As the Founder of Safety Matters Foundation, I work to enhance aviation safety through training, research, and regulatory advocacy.
I’ve led safety, training and operations at IndiGo and AirAsia India, presented at ISASI and the Flight Safety Foundation, and hold a Fellowship from the Royal Aeronautical Society (UK).
📚 Author of published books: mindFly and Varaha
🔗 safetymatters.co.in
