AVIT 309 Exam 2 Questions with Correct Answers Latest Update 2025/2026
What are the three primary sources of orientation in aviation? - Answers Visual, Vestibular,
Proprioception
What percentage of inflight orientation does visual orientation provide? - Answers 90%
Proprioceptive senses allow humans to sense what? - Answers Movement and Body position
Vestibular sense allow humans to sense what? - Answers Angular accerlation
What two components make up the vestibular apparatus? - Answers Otolith organs and Semi-
Circular Canals
What should be the speed of a turn for sub-threshold acceleration? - Answers Less than 3
degrees a second
What are the two main components of human visual systems? - Answers Peripheral and Central
What are the three phases of vision? - Answers Photopic, Scotopic, Mesopic
Where is peak visual acuity located? - Answers Central Vision, Central 2 degree cone
How large is the human perceptible field of view? - Answers 120 x 120
Where is the night visual blind spot located on the visual field? - Answers Central 2
degrees/central vision
What are the 2 technologies used for enhanced visual systems? - Answers Light Intensification
and Infrared
What is the recommendation for visual scanning inflight for instruments versus outside the
aircraft? - Answers 3/4 outside 1/4 inside
True or false: SDO may rapidly transition from unnoticed to incapacitating - Answers True
SDO typically happens when an aviator cannot visually confirm orientation with what? - Answers
The horizon
Ture or false: Fatigue may lead to SDO by causing routine tasks or scans to be skipped -
Answers True
What is the average experience level for pilots involved in SDO related accidents? - Answers
1000+ hours, 10 years, very experienced
What compensatory reflexive action typically happens to a pilot's head in a banking turn? -
Answers Optokinetic Cervical Reflex
, Which SDO illusion affects a pilot's ability to focus their eyes after rolling out of an extended
turn? - Answers Oculogyric illusion
Which SDO illusion causes a pilot to feel as if the aircraft nose suddenly pitched up during
acceleration in low vis conditions? - Answers Somatogravic Illusion
Which SDO illusion causes a turning sensation following roll-out from an extended turn? -
Answers Somatogyric Illusion
Which SDO illusion typically starts with a subthreshold turn? - Answers Graveyard Spin
How long should one expect to fly straight and level for SDO symptoms to resolve? - Answers
20-30 seconds
How much should pilots rely on vestibular and proprioceptive inputs during flight? - Answers
Not at all
Historically, what percentage of commercial incidents and accidents happen in the approach
and landing phases of flight? - Answers 50%
Visual illusions cause incidents and accidents for what reason? - Answers Deviation from
glideslope
What 2 physiological factors may help create approach and landing visual illusions? - Answers
Visual perspective and depth perception
What are the 3 major landing illusion components? - Answers Airport environment, Runway
environment, Weather conditions
When a pilot looks at the ground, lack of what terrain feature may create difficulties for a pilot to
estimate altitude? - Answers Lack of texture
What about Black Hole Approaches makes them create a visual illusion? - Answers Lack of
ambient visual cues along approach path
What illusion does an upsloping runway create? - Answers Steep approach path
What illusion does a narrower-than-normal runway create? - Answers Higher and farther away
from the threshold
What makes wire, towers, or antennas difficult to see on approach? - Answers Background
clutter
Why could precipitation cause an incident or accident on approach? - Answers The pilot spends
too much time visually searching for the runway/environment, and not enough time on the
instruments
What are the three primary sources of orientation in aviation? - Answers Visual, Vestibular,
Proprioception
What percentage of inflight orientation does visual orientation provide? - Answers 90%
Proprioceptive senses allow humans to sense what? - Answers Movement and Body position
Vestibular sense allow humans to sense what? - Answers Angular accerlation
What two components make up the vestibular apparatus? - Answers Otolith organs and Semi-
Circular Canals
What should be the speed of a turn for sub-threshold acceleration? - Answers Less than 3
degrees a second
What are the two main components of human visual systems? - Answers Peripheral and Central
What are the three phases of vision? - Answers Photopic, Scotopic, Mesopic
Where is peak visual acuity located? - Answers Central Vision, Central 2 degree cone
How large is the human perceptible field of view? - Answers 120 x 120
Where is the night visual blind spot located on the visual field? - Answers Central 2
degrees/central vision
What are the 2 technologies used for enhanced visual systems? - Answers Light Intensification
and Infrared
What is the recommendation for visual scanning inflight for instruments versus outside the
aircraft? - Answers 3/4 outside 1/4 inside
True or false: SDO may rapidly transition from unnoticed to incapacitating - Answers True
SDO typically happens when an aviator cannot visually confirm orientation with what? - Answers
The horizon
Ture or false: Fatigue may lead to SDO by causing routine tasks or scans to be skipped -
Answers True
What is the average experience level for pilots involved in SDO related accidents? - Answers
1000+ hours, 10 years, very experienced
What compensatory reflexive action typically happens to a pilot's head in a banking turn? -
Answers Optokinetic Cervical Reflex
, Which SDO illusion affects a pilot's ability to focus their eyes after rolling out of an extended
turn? - Answers Oculogyric illusion
Which SDO illusion causes a pilot to feel as if the aircraft nose suddenly pitched up during
acceleration in low vis conditions? - Answers Somatogravic Illusion
Which SDO illusion causes a turning sensation following roll-out from an extended turn? -
Answers Somatogyric Illusion
Which SDO illusion typically starts with a subthreshold turn? - Answers Graveyard Spin
How long should one expect to fly straight and level for SDO symptoms to resolve? - Answers
20-30 seconds
How much should pilots rely on vestibular and proprioceptive inputs during flight? - Answers
Not at all
Historically, what percentage of commercial incidents and accidents happen in the approach
and landing phases of flight? - Answers 50%
Visual illusions cause incidents and accidents for what reason? - Answers Deviation from
glideslope
What 2 physiological factors may help create approach and landing visual illusions? - Answers
Visual perspective and depth perception
What are the 3 major landing illusion components? - Answers Airport environment, Runway
environment, Weather conditions
When a pilot looks at the ground, lack of what terrain feature may create difficulties for a pilot to
estimate altitude? - Answers Lack of texture
What about Black Hole Approaches makes them create a visual illusion? - Answers Lack of
ambient visual cues along approach path
What illusion does an upsloping runway create? - Answers Steep approach path
What illusion does a narrower-than-normal runway create? - Answers Higher and farther away
from the threshold
What makes wire, towers, or antennas difficult to see on approach? - Answers Background
clutter
Why could precipitation cause an incident or accident on approach? - Answers The pilot spends
too much time visually searching for the runway/environment, and not enough time on the
instruments
