Human Factors Essentials for Pilots

The human side of flight safety in four short lessons — memory and workload, fatigue, speaking up and threat and error management.

Civil Aviation

Free

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  • 4 lessons
  • 39 min of content
  • Student pilot
  • Self-paced, online

What you'll learn

  • Explain why working memory limits multitasking and how crews share workload
  • Recognise how fatigue and microsleeps affect performance, and what really helps
  • Use simple phrases to speak up early and manage the authority gradient
  • Apply the basics of Threat and Error Management to everyday flights

Most accidents involve aircraft that were working perfectly. What fails is often something human: attention, memory, communication, decision-making.

This free course introduces the human factors every pilot should understand — from the first solo to the airline flight deck. It complements the Human Performance and Limitations (040) subject of the ATPL syllabus and the CRM training you will receive during your career.

Each lesson takes about 10 minutes and ends with a short knowledge check. Sign in to save your progress.

Course content 4 lessons · 39 min

  1. 01 Module 1 — The pilot as part of the system

    1. Memory, attention and workload 10 min
    2. Fatigue and alertness 10 min

  2. 02 Module 2 — Crew performance

    1. Speaking up and the authority gradient 9 min
    2. Threat and Error Management basics 10 min

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