A pilot should not attempt any of these maneuvers at  low altitudes or in the absence of an instructor pilot or an  appropriate safety pilot. With the pilot’s eyes closed, the instructor pilot maintains  approach airspeed in a straight-and-level attitude for several  seconds, and then accelerates while maintaining straight- and-level attitude. The usual illusion during this maneuver,  without visual references, is that the aircraft is climbing. immediately returns his or her head to an upright position.  The instructor pilot should time the maneuver so the roll is  stopped as the pilot returns his or her head upright. An intense  disorientation is usually produced by this maneuver, and the  pilot experiences the sensation of falling downward into the  direction of the roll. In the descriptions of these maneuvers, the instructor pilot is  doing the flying, but having the pilot do the flying can also  be a very effective demonstration. The pilot should close his  or her eyes and tilt their head to one side. The instructor pilot  tells the pilot what control inputs to perform. The pilot then  attempts to establish the correct attitude or control input with  eyes closed and head tilted. While it is clear the pilot has no  idea of the actual attitude, he or she will react to what the  senses are saying. After a short time, the pilot will become  disoriented, and the instructor pilot then tells the pilot to  look up and recover. The benefit of this exercise is the pilot  experiences the disorientation while flying the aircraft. With the pilot’s eyes still closed and the aircraft in a straight- and-level attitude, the instructor pilot now executes, with a  relatively slow entry, a well-coordinated turn of about 1.5  positive G (approximately 50° bank) for 90°. While in the  turn, without outside visual references and under the effect of  the slight positive G, the usual illusion produced is that of a  climb. Upon sensing the climb, the pilot should immediately  open the eyes and see that a slowly established, coordinated  turn produces the same feeling as a climb. Repeating the previous procedure, with the exception that  the pilot’s eyes should be kept closed until recovery from  the turn is approximately one-half completed can create this  sensation. With the eyes closed, the usual illusion is that the  aircraft is diving. While in a straight-and-level attitude, with the pilot’s eyes  closed, the instructor pilot executes a moderate or slight  skid to the left with wings level. This creates the illusion of  the body being tilted to the right. The same illusion can be  sensed with a skid to the right with wings level, except the  body feels it is being tilted to the left. This illusion can be demonstrated in any of the three planes of  motion. While straight and level, with the pilot’s eyes closed,  the instructor pilot smoothly and positively rolls the aircraft  to approximately a 45° bank attitude. This creates the illusion  of a strong sense of rotation in the opposite direction. After  this illusion is noted, the pilot should open his or her eyes  and observe that the aircraft is in a banked attitude.  This maneuver may produce extreme disorientation. While  in straight-and-level flight, the pilot should sit normally,  either with eyes closed or gaze lowered to the floor. The  instructor pilot starts a positive, coordinated roll toward a  30° or 40° angle of bank. As this is in progress, the pilot  tilts his or her head forward, looks to the right or left, then  To prevent illusions and their potentially disastrous  consequences, pilots can: Climbing While Accelerating Climbing While Turning Diving While Turning Tilting to Right or Left Diving or Rolling Beyond the Vertical Plane Reversal of Motion 3-8 Coping with Spatial Disorientation 1.  Understand the causes of these illusions and remain  constantly alert for them. Take the opportunity to  understand and then experience spatial disorientation  illusions in a device, such as a Barany chair, a  Vertigon, or a Virtual Reality Spatial Disorientation  Demonstrator. 2.  Always obtain and understand preflight weather  briefings. 3.  Before flying in marginal visibility (less than 3 miles)  or where a visible horizon is not evident such as flight  over open water during the night, obtain training and  maintain proficiency in airplane control by reference  to instruments.  4.  Do not continue flight into adverse weather conditions  or into dusk or darkness unless proficient in the use of  flight instruments. If intending to fly at night, maintain  night-flight currency and proficiency. Include cross- country and local operations at various airfields. 5.  Ensure that when outside visual references are used,  they are reliable, fixed points on the Earth’s surface. 6.  Avoid sudden head movement, particularly during  takeoffs, turns, and approaches to landing. 7.  Be physically tuned for flight into reduced visibility.  Ensure proper rest, adequate diet, and, if flying at  night, allow for night adaptation. Remember that  illness, medication, alcohol, fatigue, sleep loss, and 