This article resulted from a ground school presentation entitled ‘The Facts of Life for Pilots’. It focused on topics concerning aviation medicine and survival skills. From 1987 to 1997 it was presented at 25 sessions to private and commercial student pilots as well as B.C. Search and Rescue pilots and spotters. This article is extracted from the section on spatial disorientation.

I am indebted to Doug Banks, veteran float plane driver and co-founder of Tofino Airlines, for providing the catalyst that resulted in the COPA Flight article of April 2003.

Dave Jamieson, my flying partner, has spent countless hours sleuthing the web for copyright clearances and organizing my original article into an electronic format.

Jerald Walliser of the Royal Columbian Hospital audio-video department displayed infinite patience with my repeated requests for slides and photos.

1. Twin Otter- Controlled Flight into Terrain (C.F.I.T.) Photo courtesy Klaus Kosmider.
2. Avoid Marginal VFR - By H.L. Townsend, Aviation Safety Officer (February 1992)
3. Illusions - 3 Classical - Aviation Safety Letter (Canada Issue No. 5/86)
4. Illusion - Vase/Two Face Profiles - Psychology Today, an Introduction(3^rd Edition, 1975), Reproduced with permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.
5. Illusion - Old Lady/Young Lady - Psychology Today, an Introduction(3rd Edition, 1975), Reproduced with Permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.
6. Illusion - Sniffing Dalmatian - Psychology Today, an Introduction(3^rd Edition, 1975), Reproduced with Permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.
7. Hazards of Flight in Rain - Lavella, Stoffer, Survival Sense for Pilots and Passangers, Reproduced with Permission of the Author
8. Runway Width Illusion - Fundamentals of Aerospace Medicine. Courtesy of Allen J. Parmet, M.D.
9. C-FIKO - Pitt Meadows Airport - Photographer J. Albrecht
10. C-FIKO - Pitt Meadows Airport - Photographer J. Albrecht
11. C-130 Hercules-Black Hole Phenomenon-Photograph courtesy of Canadian Department of National Defense
12. Sloping Runway Illusions- Aviation Safety, US (Nov. 1, 1993), Reproduced with Permission of the Author
13. Stars and Ground Lights, Arrows Indicate True Horizon - Fundamentals of Aerospace Medicine. Courtesy of Allen J. Parmet, M.D.
14. Super Cub - Chilliwack Lake - Photographer J. Albrecht
15. a,b. Super Cub - Clowholm Lake - Photographer J. Albrecht
16. Living Room I - Photographer J. Albrecht
17. Living Room II - Photographer J. Albrecht
18. a,b. False Horizon - Flying is Safe - Are You?, Reproduced with Permission of the Author
19. Lake Manitoba, Blueout with Smoke, Horizon Mid-Strut - Photographer - J. Albrecht
20. Super Cub - Whiteout - Photographer Klaus Kosmider
21. Cessna 206 - Whiteout - Photographer Klaus Kosmider
22. Manila Harbour I, VFR with Horizon - Photographer J. Albrecht
23. Manila Harbour II, Marginal VFR to Breakwater, IFR Beyond, Greyout - Photographer J. Albrecht
24. Vestibular Apparatus of the Inner Ear with 3 Semicircular Canals - Flying is Safe - Are You?, reproduced with Permission of the Author
25. Cessna 172, Hope-Princeton Highway, The Ultimate Off-Airport Landing - Photographer Dr. V. Gibb
26. Hope-Princeton Highway, Same View VFR - 360 deg of Mountainous Terrain - Photographer J. Albrecht

1. Armour, Major J. Director of Flight Safety DND, DVD Night Visual Illusions
2. Childerhose, Chick. Wild Blue(1978), pp 180-182
3. * Coulson, Barry. The Logger’s Digest, Vol. 1, pp 17-23
4. DeHart, Roy L., Davis, Jeffrey R., Fundamentals of Aerospace Medicine, Third Edition
5. Hansen, Bryce W., Flying is Safe - Are You?, Aeromedical Handbook(1980)
6. Lee, Robert Mason, Death and Deliverance(1992)
7. Lavella, Stoffer, Survival Sense for Pilots and Passengers(1980)
8. Psychology Today - An Introduction, Third Edition(1975)