Originally Posted by
MyData
Do this is cloud - total visual sensory deprivation from the outside world. No cues of up / down or straight / level...
One of the things I had to do was hand over control to the instructor, then close my eyes, whilst he put the plane through a series of turns, climbs and descents (in cloud), all done in a relatively gentle fashion. I had to describe to him what these manoeuvres were as they happened eg "we're turning left now" "Now we are climbing" etc. When he had finished, I was convinced that we were flying straight and level, but when I opened my eyes in order to recover the aircraft, I was amazed to find we were in a descending left turn!!
Another time (again in cloud) I had to close my eyes whilst he put the plane through a series of more aggressive manoeuvres, to simulate bad turbulence in cloud (which can be disorientating), finishing by putting the plane in a steepish descending right turn, which I had to suss out and correct into straight and level flight, with only reference to instruments.
Aas I said before, all great fun but damned tiring!!