ACS Alignment

FAA-S-ACS-29 — Flight Instructor, Rotorcraft–Helicopter · Area of Operation II. Technical Subject Areas · Task: A, B & C — Human Factors; Visual Scanning & Collision Avoidance; Runway Incursion Avoidance

HI.II.A.K1 — aeromedical factors & illusions (teaching) HI.II.B.K1 — see-and-avoid & effective visual scanning HI.II.C.K1 — runway/heliport incursion avoidance HI.II.A.R1 — teaching spatial disorientation awareness

⚑ FLAG (Walter): combines Technical Tasks A, B, C — confirm HI. codes against the current FAA-S-ACS-29.

Human Factors, Visual Scanning & Runway-Incursion Avoidance

Teach the body’s limits, the eyes’ scan, and the discipline that keeps students out of conflicts on the ground and in the air.

By the end of this lesson you can:

Teach aeromedical factors and visual illusions and how to mitigate them (CO, hypoxia, spatial disorientation, etc.).
Teach effective visual scanning and see-and-avoid technique.
Teach runway/heliport incursion avoidance through positional awareness and readbacks.
Recognize how to instruct these as habits, not just facts.

1 · Teaching human factors

Cover the aeromedical factors (hypoxia, hyperventilation, CO from cabin heat, fatigue, dehydration, stress) and the visual illusions that cause spatial disorientation — especially at low level and at night in helicopters. Teach the student to recognize symptoms and to trust instruments when visual cues fail. Use scenarios so it becomes a habit, not a memorized list.

2 · Visual scanning & see-and-avoid

Teach a systematic scan (e.g., sectional/block method), the eye’s limitations (focal vs. peripheral, empty-field myopia, time to refocus), and right-of-way rules. Emphasize that see-and-avoid is primary in VFR and that clearing turns and a disciplined scan are continuous, not occasional.

3 · Runway/heliport incursion avoidance

Teach positional awareness with a current airport diagram, verbatim readback of hold-short and crossing instructions, sterile-cockpit discipline near movement areas, and clear self-announcing at non-towered fields. Most incursions are preventable with disciplined habits you model every flight.

4 · Watch

Curated reference clip — “Collision Avoidance Precautions” · ERAU SpecialVFR (YouTube), verified via oEmbed. Embedded with the creator’s player; we don’t host or alter it.

5 · Reference sources

Use the authoritative references

📄 Pilot’s Handbook (FAA-H-8083-25) — Aeromedical Factors 📄 AIM — Visual Scanning & Runway Incursion Avoidance

Your aircraft: required equipment for night/illusion mitigation is partly aircraft-specific — note the R44 lighting/equipment and CO-detection you use.

✍️ Fill in for the aircraft you fly the scan technique and incursion-avoidance habits you require of students, and the R44 CO-detector/lighting — align with your operation and confirm with your CFII.

⚑ FLAG (Walter): the R44 is VFR-certificated; confirm any aircraft-specific values you teach from the current R44 POH, and confirm all endorsement wording against AC 61-65 and 14 CFR Part 61.

Risk management (the “Consider”): the teaching risk is letting these become facts on a quiz instead of habits. Drill scanning, clearing turns, and verbatim hold-short readbacks every flight; teach students to recognize aeromedical symptoms and to trust instruments when disoriented.