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Commercial pilot · ACS CA.I.H · Instructor lesson plan

Human Factors (Commercial)

Student pack: Train: Human Factors (Commercial) · Full lesson: Prepare guide

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1 · Objective

By the end of this lesson your student can explain human factors (commercial) in their own words and apply it to a realistic flight, to the ACS standard for CA.I.H.

Why it matters for safety: A commercial pilot is paid to make good decisions under pressure, often tired and with people watching. Most accidents trace to the pilot, not the airplane: a hazardous attitude, an unrecognized physiological problem, or a mind that heard what it expected. Recognizing these in yourself is a professional skill.

2 · Assign before the lesson

Pre-work: the free Train pack, Human Factors (Commercial). Your body, the rules on alcohol and drugs, and decision-making when you’re the one being paid to decide.

Anyone can open this link, no account needed. To see who trained it on your roster, use a free instructor account.

Pack: pilotprep.pro/train/cpl/human-factors · Full lesson: pilotprep.pro/prepare/cpl/human-factors

3 · Teach sequence

Key points to land

  • No flying within 8 hours of drinking alcohol, while under its influence, or with a blood alcohol of 0.04 or more.(14 CFR 91.17)
  • A motor vehicle action is a conviction for driving while intoxicated or impaired, or a license suspended, revoked, cancelled or denied for an alcohol- or drug-related cause. Report each in writing to the FAA Security and Investigations Division within 60 days. An arrest alone, with no conviction or license action, isn't one.(14 CFR 61.15(c), (e))
  • Oxygen (cabin pressure altitudes): the required crew must be provided with and use it above 12,500 feet MSL up to and including 14,000 for any time over 30 minutes, and at all times above 14,000; above 15,000, every occupant must be provided with it.(14 CFR 91.211(a))
  • After scuba diving, wait at least 12 hours before flying up to 8,000 feet, and 24 hours for higher altitudes or after a dive that needed a controlled ascent.(AIM 8-1-2)
  • Five hazardous attitudes, each with an antidote: anti-authority, impulsivity, invulnerability, macho, resignation.(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeronautical Decision-Making)
  • Confirmation and expectation bias make you see what you expect, like the clearance you expected or the forecast you hoped for. Read back and cross-check.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))
  • Single-pilot resource management: use every resource (ATC, automation, checklists, passengers) and manage workload before it peaks.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))

Physiology

  • Hypoxia: lack of oxygen, with euphoria, headache, poor judgment and cyanosis. Types: hypoxic (altitude), hypemic (blood, including carbon monoxide), stagnant and histotoxic (alcohol, drugs). Use oxygen and descend.(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeromedical Factors)
  • Hyperventilation: breathing too fast, often from stress; tingling and dizziness. Slow your breathing, or talk out loud. Its symptoms look like hypoxia's: at altitude, treat for hypoxia first (oxygen on, descend), then slow your breathing.(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeromedical Factors; AIM 8-1-2, 8-1-3)
  • Middle ear and sinus: a cold or allergy can block the passages, so the pressure can't equalize, mostly in the descent: sharp pain, muffled hearing, even a ruptured eardrum. Don't fly congested; if it happens, climb back up a little and descend slowly, using a Valsalva.(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeromedical Factors)
  • Spatial disorientation: the inner ear misleads without a visual horizon: the leans after a slow roll, a graveyard spiral, a false climb when accelerating (somatogravic). Recognize it by a conflict between the feeling and the instruments; trust the instruments, or avoid the conditions without an instrument rating.(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeromedical Factors; AIM 8-1-5)
  • Optical illusions on landing: a narrow or upsloping runway makes you feel high (you fly low); a wide or downsloping one, low (you fly high); featureless terrain, water or haze make you fly low. Use the VASI or PAPI, a known pattern and the altimeter.(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeromedical Factors; AIM 8-1-5)
  • Motion sickness: nausea, sweating, pallor. Fresh air, eyes outside on the horizon, smooth flying, and land if needed.(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeromedical Factors)
  • Carbon monoxide from a cabin heater leak: headache and drowsiness. Heater off, fresh air, land.(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeromedical Factors)
  • Stress: shows as tension, poor sleep, distraction or irritability; acute stress from an emergency, chronic from life. Notice it, simplify the flight or stay on the ground.(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeromedical Factors)
  • Fatigue: slower reactions, missed radio calls, poor judgment, the same impairment as alcohol. Causes are short sleep, long duty and time of day. The fix is rest; caffeine only masks it.(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeromedical Factors)
  • Dehydration and nutrition: headache, fatigue, cramps, dizziness; hot cockpits and altitude dry you out. Drink before you're thirsty and eat regular meals: low blood sugar dulls judgment too.(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeromedical Factors)
  • Hypothermia: cold exposure (an open cockpit, winter, a forced landing) brings shivering, confusion and clumsy hands. Dress for the outside temperature, carry survival gear, and get warm.(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeromedical Factors)
  • Decompression sickness after scuba diving: nitrogen bubbles bring joint pain and worse. Wait at least 12 hours before flying up to 8,000 feet, 24 hours above that or after a dive that needed a controlled ascent.(AIM 8-1-2)

Alcohol, drugs and medications

  • The 8-hour, influence and 0.04 rules are minimums. Alcohol impairs judgment and worsens hypoxia; many pilots use 24 hours.(14 CFR 91.17)
  • Over-the-counter drugs, especially antihistamines, can impair you. Don’t fly while using a drug that affects your faculties, and check with an AME.(14 CFR 61.53; 91.17)
  • Report alcohol- or drug-related motor vehicle actions within 60 days.(14 CFR 61.15(e))

Decisions and attitudes

  • Hazardous attitudes and antidotes: anti-authority ("follow the rules, they’re usually right"), impulsivity ("not so fast, think first"), invulnerability ("it could happen to me"), macho ("taking chances is foolish"), resignation ("I’m not helpless. I can make a difference.").(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeronautical Decision-Making)
  • Use a decision model such as DECIDE or 3P (perceive, process, perform). SRM uses every resource when you fly alone (ATC, automation, checklists, passengers); CRM is the same idea with a crew: brief roles, speak up, and cross-check each other.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))
  • Before each flight, check yourself with IMSAFE (Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion or Eating) and the flight with PAVE (Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, External pressures), against personal minimums you wrote down in advance.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A); Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeronautical Decision-Making)

Attention and bias

  • Prioritize: aviate, navigate, communicate. Brief tasks before high-workload phases.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))
  • Confirmation bias: you favor information that supports your plan. Expectation bias: you hear the clearance you expected. Read back carefully and question what fits too neatly.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))

4 · Ask your student

In order: recall, then understanding, then applying it. Move up only when the answer shows it.

  1. Recall · What are the oxygen requirements for the crew?

    A strong answer: Above 12,500 feet cabin altitude up to and including 14,000 for any time over 30 minutes, and at all times above 14,000.

  2. Understand · Why is hypoxia so dangerous?

    A strong answer: It impairs judgment before you notice it, and often feels good, so you may not recognize it until you can’t act.

  3. Apply · You’ve been on duty 11 hours. The customer wants one more flight before dark and offers a bonus. What do you do?

    A strong answer: Check myself honestly: fatigue is a real impairment. If I’m not fit, I decline, whatever the money.

Scenarios to talk through

  • Your passenger complains of a headache and drowsiness with the cabin heat on. What do you suspect?

    Sound decision: Carbon monoxide. Heater off, fresh air, oxygen if available, land and get checked.

  • Ground control gives a taxi clearance you expected, but something sounded different. What do you do?

    Sound decision: Read back what you heard and ask if unsure. Expectation bias makes you hear the usual.

  • You went scuba diving this morning, with no controlled ascent, and a flight at 9,500 feet is offered this afternoon. Can you go?

    Sound decision: Not yet. Above 8,000 feet the guidance is to wait 24 hours.

5 · Common student errors

  • Treating the alcohol rule as a target.

    Why it matters: Impairment lasts longer than 8 hours.

    How to correct it: Use a much longer personal rule.

  • Not recognizing your own hazardous attitude.

    Why it matters: Attitudes feel normal from inside.

    How to correct it: Learn the five and say the antidote out loud.

  • Ignoring fatigue for income.

    Why it matters: Fatigue impairs like alcohol.

    How to correct it: Set duty limits for yourself.

6 · Completion standard

  • Your student answers each "Ask your student" question in their own words, up to the Apply level, without prompting.
  • They talk through the scenarios and reach a safe, legal decision, explaining why.
  • They complete the pack’s quick check and can say what they flagged.

Area trained? Close out with a practice oral focused on CA.I.H: pilotprep.pro/exam?exam=CPL&focus=CA.I.H

7 · References

  • Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aeromedical factors; aeronautical decision-making
  • Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A)
  • Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), 8-1
  • 14 CFR, 61.15, 61.53, 91.17, 91.211
  • Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B), Area I, Task H
  • Airman Certification Standards, task CA.I.H

PilotPrep instructor lesson plan, from the Human Factors (Commercial) lesson (checked against current FAA sources 2026-11-13). A study and teaching aid, not FAA guidance; teach to your own judgment and the current ACS.