Vertigo- Disorientation - Beech Beechcraft Bonanza V35 Pilot Operating Handbook

Section X
Safety Information
~ft
Single Engine (Piston)
TV towers, or communities in the area flown. This is espe-
cially true in mountainous terrain, where there is usually very
little ground reference. Minimum clearance is 2,000 feet
above the highest obstacle enroute. Do not depend on your
ability to see obstacles in time to miss them. Flight on dark
nights over sparsely populated country can be the same as
IFR, and must be avoided by inexperienced or non-lFR
rated pilots.
VERTIGO- DISORIENTATION
Disorientation can occur in a variety of ways. During flight,
inner ear balancing mechanisms are subjected to varied
forces not normally experienced on the ground. This, com-
bined with loss of outside visual reference, can cause ver-
tigo. False interpretations (illusions) result, and may confuse
the pilot's conception of the attitude and position of his air-
plane.
Under VFR conditions, the visual sense, using the horizon
as a reference, can override the illusions. Under low visibil-
ity conditions (night, fog, clouds, haze, etc.) the illusions pre-
dominate. Only through awareness of these illusions, and
proficiency in instrument flight procedures, can an airplane
be operated safely in a low visibility environment.
Flying in fog, dense haze or dust, cloud banks, or very low
visibility, with strobe lights or rotating beacons turned on can
contribute to vertigo. They should be turned off in these
conditions, particularly at night.
All pilots should check the weather and use good judgment
in planning flights. The VFR pilot should use extra caution in
avoiding low visibility conditions.
Motion sickness often precedes or accompanies disorienta-
tion and may further jeopardize the flight.
10-34
May, 1994