Motion Induced Blindness

[GyroChuck]

Got this from a fellow club member. Thought I'd post it here for all to see.

This is frightening! It works exactly like it says, and is one major reason people in cars can look right at you (when you're on a motorcycle or bicycle)---AND NOT SEE YOU. From a former Naval Aviator. This is a great illustration of what we were taught about scanning outside the cockpit when I went through training back in the '50s. We were told to scan the horizon for a short distance, stop momentarily, and repeat the process. I can remember being told why this was the most effective technique to locate other aircraft. It was emphasized (repeatedly) to NOT fix your gaze for more than a couple of seconds on any single object. The instructors, some of whom were WWII veterans with years of experience, instructed us to continually "keep our eyes moving and our head on a swivel" because this was the best way to survive, not only in combat, but from peacetime hazards (like a midair collision) as well. We basically had to take the advice on faith (until we could experience for ourselves) because the technology to demonstrate it didn't exist at that time.


Click on the link below for a demonstration ...

http://www.msf-usa.org/motion.html

 

[rayxray]

Most excellent visual !

 

[Arnie Madsen]

Chuck .. You always come up with something interesting .... and this one sure is.
Hopefully it will add to our ...... "don't-hit-a-motorcycle-skills" .... as well as spotting other aircraft.

I am not a motorcycle guy ...... and I have never hit one , or cut one off .... I attribute it to training my eye to always look for cars , trucks and motorcycles. This new information about keeping eyes-head moving is new and valuable and probably should be taught to all drivers & pilots.

I am going to email this test to everyone I know.

 

[DennisFetters]

Dude! I like zombied-out for 30 minutes looking at that!

 

[REDHORSE556CES]

Remedy I was taught

Remedy I was taught

My flight instructor, fixed wing of course, told me that when one is looking out toward the horizon the eyes tend to focus at a "natural" distance and can certainly miss things even when scanning for other hazards (mountains, towers, other aircraft, etc.). He taught me to be vigilant in scanning, but every once in a while to look out to the tip of the wing to force ones eyes to focus to a different distance, then look out to the horizon or other distance.

I experienced this when I was taking my check ride for multi-engine. I had was just completing a 180, glanced at my wing tip and spotted a 172 bearing down on us from about 1/4 mile away. Since I was still rolling the aircraft level, I continued with the roll until I was about 90 degrees from the path of the 172. Afterward, the examiner brought that up and told me "nice job".

Look at a wing tip, the edge of the arc of your rotor disc, something so you eyes will re-focus.

 

[choppergabor]

Absolutely perfect simulation! WOW Thanks Chuck.

 

[Resasi]

Had seen it before, but always worth looking at again as it perfectly demonstrates our blind spot.

When TCAS first came in and one could then electronically see the traffic in European airspace, what frightened me was the number of aircraft one simply had not spotted by eye.

That fright increased when the airspace separation rules changed as even more aircraft appeared. It can be very easy simply not to see an awful lot of traffic around one, unless prompted by such equipment. It certainly awoke a lot of people to some of the shortcomings of the eyeball Mk I.

 

[Thomas]

Moving objects

Moving objects

Also keep in mind that when two aircraft are on a collision course they do not appear to move across your field of vision; instead they are locked in the same position on the windscreen. A dot on the horizon might look like a speck of dirt on the windscreen. It could be another aircraft set on a course that will collide with you should one of you not change airspeed, altitude or direction of flight.

 

[Gyro28866]

About 15 years ago, I was playing in my Cessna 150. And was making a close in pattern, and was going to do a simulated dead stick landing, slipping the aircraft to loose altitude and maintain airspeed. I visually checked and turned into base leg and announced on the radio. As I rolled wings level, in my PERRIFFERAL vision I say the sliouet to my left and coming fast. There was a J3 on base at 750 agl and was overtaking me, I turned right directly infront of him at less than 100 yards distance. I did some fancy flying to avoid the collision. After I was on the ground, I approached the other pilot, and he informed me that he never saw me. He also stated that because he did not have a radio and was in an old aircraft he could fly a lower pattern than standard and it was my problem to avoid him.
The point is, fly like you are invisable, and be vigilant for the other aircraft. He might not see you either.

Oh
I had to wash my tighty whities after that one. lol.