startle factor
n.— «Practical research shows that experienced pilots, with training provided by their airlines in upset recoveries, still struggle to perform when attempting to recover. There are many human factors involved in an actual upset, including the “startle factor” a nd the sometimes overwhelming psychological aspects of an upset attitude. With appropriate instruction, pilots can learn how to recognize and recover from an upset.» —“Enhance Upset Training” by Bryan Burks Aviation Week Feb. 8, 2010. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Amid court-ordered busing in the 1970s, a middle-school teacher tried to distract her nervous students on the first day of class with this strange assignment: find a monarch caterpillar. The result? A memorable lesson in the miracle of metamorphosis...
Ribbon fall. Gallery forest. You won’t find terms like these in most dictionaries, but they and hundreds like them are discussed by famous writers in the book Home Ground: A Guide to the American Landscape. The book is an intriguing collection...