Study on How Expert and Novice Pilots Can Distribute Their Visual Attention to Improve Flight Performance

Abstract

To explore how pilots’ distribution of visual attention affects flight performance, twenty male pilots (novices and experts with 407 ± 11.3 h and 4127 ± 77 h of flight experience, respectively) were enlisted to complete the instrument holding pattern and approach procedure on the DA-42 simulator. The distribution of visual attention was based on eye movement data recorded during the flight to investigate how pilots scan the flight instrument panel, which was divided into six areas of interest (AOIs). To evaluate the pilots’ flight performance an expert scoring method was used. During the outbound-leg stage, experts paid significantly more visual attention to the airspeed indicator, altimeter and reference system, whereas for the approach phase, they devoted more attention to the airspeed indicator, altimeter and vertical speed indicator. Results showed that experts’ proportions of gaze duration on different AOIs contributed to their better performance. An effective visual attention model can be developed on this study to improve air traffic safety.