Physiology
Prepare Yourself
One of the best ways that single pilots can mitigate risk is to use the IMSAFE checklist to determine physical and mental readiness for flying:
Illness—Am I sick? Illness is an obvious pilot risk.
Medication—Am I taking any medicines that might affect my judgment or make me drowsy?
Stress—Am I under psychological pressure from the job? Do I have money, health, or family problems? Stress causes concentration and performance problems. While the regulations list medical conditions that require grounding, stress is not among them. The pilot should consider the effects of stress on performance.
Alcohol—Have I been drinking within 8 hours? Within 24 hours? As little as one ounce of liquor, one bottle of beer, or four ounces of wine can impair flying skills. Alcohol also renders a pilot more susceptible to disorientation and hypoxia.
Fatigue—Am I tired and not adequately rested? Fatigue continues to be one of the most insidious hazards to flight safety, as it may not be apparent to a pilot until serious errors are made.
Eating—Have I eaten enough of the proper foods to keep adequately nourished during the entire flight?
Medications
Hydration
Soaring Magazine March 2012
Dr Daniel L. Johnson is a General Internist, Senior Aviation Medical Examiner and glider pilot. All the articles above are targeted at glider pilots and written by Dr. Johnson.
Relief Systems
Allergy Medications and Flying
Think Over The Counter is Okay? Think Again!
Experimental Aircraft Association
Sport Aviation Nov 2014
Drinking plenty of water on hot days is critical in order to avoid dehydration that can lead to bad judgement. Relief during short training flights is typically not an issue. As you advance in soaring, you might decide to make longer flights of one, two or even six hours in duration on long cross country flights. Reliable and easy to use relief systems are important to get right for use in small glider cockpits. There are many ways to do this - read more about Relief Systems.....