Effects of Normobaric Hypoxic Exposure on Physiological Responses, Cognitive Performance, and Simulated Flight Performance in General Aviation Pilots
Peter Pipp, Igor Petrović, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Slovenia

Hypoxia is a major physiological hazard in aviation and can impair cognition, judgment, and flight performance even at altitudes relevant to general aviation. However, structured hypoxia training based on exposure is uncommon among general aviation pilots, and evidence linking physiological, cognitive, and simulator-based responses in this population remains limited.
This study examined the effects of controlled normobaric hypoxic exposure on physiological parameters, questionnaire-based cognitive performance, and simulated flight performance in general aviation pilots. Participants first completed baseline simulator tasks under normal conditions and then performed corresponding simulator tasks during hypoxic exposure in a normobaric altitude chamber. The simulator protocol included an ILS approach and an IMC maneuvering task. SpO₂ and heart rate were recorded at predefined phases of the chamber protocol, and questionnaire-based cognitive tasks were administered under baseline and hypoxic conditions.
Preliminary results indicated a clear and pronounced physiological response to hypoxic exposure with decreased SpO₂ and altered heart rate. Questionnaire-based cognitive task scores showed a consistent within-sample decrease under hypoxic exposure. Simulator-based analyses revealed heterogeneous effects on flight performance with changes in selected indicators of ILS tracking, maneuver execution and control behavior, and not a uniform deterioration across all variables.
The results support the use of a structured normobaric protocol as a useful framework for studying hypoxia-related performance changes and for improving aviation safety awareness in general aviation.