thing a pilot should do is make sure the helicopter is under control, then begin flying to an acceptable landing area. Only after the first two items are assured should a pilot try to communicate with anyone. 

Another important part of managing workload is recognizing a work overload situation. The first effect of high workload is that a pilot begins to work faster. As workload increases, attention cannot be devoted to several tasks at one time, and a pilot may begin to focus on one item. When a pilot becomes task saturated, there is no awareness of additional inputs from various sources, so decisions may be made on incomplete information, and the possibility of error increases. 

A very good example of this is inadvertent IMC. Once entering into bad weather, work overload can occur immediately. Mentally, the pilot must transition from flying outside of the aircraft to flying inside the aircraft. Losing all visual references can cause sensory overload and the ability to think rationally can be lost. Instead of trusting the aircraft’s instruments, pilots may try to hang onto the few visual references that they have, and forget all about all other factors surrounding them. Instead of slowing the helicopter down they increase airspeed. This can be caused by an oculogravic illusion. This type of illusion occurs when an aircraft accelerates and decelerates. Inertia from linear accelerations and decelerations cause the otolith organ to sense a nose-high or nose-low attitude. Pilots falsely perceive that the aircraft is in a nose-high attitude. Therefore, pilots increase airspeed. Pilots can also be looking down for visual references and forget about the hazards in front of them. Finally, since the pilots are not looking at the flight instruments, the aircraft is not level. All of this can be avoided by proper training and proper planning. If going inadvertent IMC is your only course of action, pilots must commit to it and fly the helicopter using only the flight instruments and not trying to follow the few visual references they have. 

When a work overload situation exists, a pilot needs to: 

• Stop, 

• Think, 

• Slow down, and then 

• Prioritize. 

It is important for a pilot to understand how to decrease workload by: 

• Placing a situation in the proper perspective, 

• Remaining calm, and 

• Thinking rationally. 

These key elements reduce stress and increase the pilot’s ability to fly safely. They depend upon the experience, 

discipline, and training that each safe flight earns. It is important to understand options available to decrease workload. For example, setting a radio frequency may be delegated to another pilot or to a passenger, freeing the pilot to perform higher-priority tasks. 

## Situational Awareness 

In addition to learning to make good aeronautical decisions, and learning to manage risk and flight workload, SA is an important element of ADM. SA is the accurate perception and understanding of all the factors and conditions within the four fundamental risk elements (PAVE) that affect safety before, during, and after the flight. SA involves being aware of what is happening around you, in order to understand how information, events, and your own actions will impact your goals and objectives, both now and in the near future. Lacking SA or having inadequate SA has been identified as one of the primary factors in accidents attributed to human error. 

SA in a helicopter can be quickly lost. Understanding the significance and impact of each risk factor independently and cumulatively aid in safe flight operations. It is possible, and all too likely, that we forget flying while at work. Our occupation, or work, may be conducting long line operations, maneuvering around city obstacles to allow a film crew access to news events, spraying crops, ferrying passengers or picking up a patient to be flown to a hospital. In each case we are flying a helicopter. The moment we fail to account for the aircraft systems, the environment, other aircraft, hazards, and ourselves, we lose SA. 

To maintain SA, all of the skills involved in SRM are used. For example, an accurate perception of pilot fitness can be achieved through self-assessment and recognition of hazardous attitudes. A clear assessment of the status of navigation equipment can be obtained through workload management, while establishing a productive relationship with ATC can be accomplished by effective resource use. 

## Obstacles to Maintaining Situational Awareness 

What distractions interfere with our focus or train of thought? There are many. A few examples pertinent to aviation, and helicopters specifically, follow. 

Fatigue, frequently associated with pilot error, is a threat to aviation safety because it impairs alertness and performance. [Figure 13-7]  The term is used to describe a range of experiences from sleepy or tired to exhausted. Two major physiological phenomena create fatigue: circadian rhythm disruption and sleep loss. 

Many helicopter jobs require scheduling flexibility, frequently affecting the body’s circadian rhythm. You 

