Flight Simulator: Field of View Utilized in Performing Tactical Maneuvers

摘要

This paper documents the field of view (FOV) utilized by experienced fighter pilots when performing specified portions of air-to-air and air-to-ground maneuvers. The FOV measurements were taken in the Simulator for Air-to-Air Combat (SAAC) and the Advanced Simulator for Pilot Training (ASPT). During the air-to-ground data collection, measurements were also taken while subjects performed the same tasks with a limited field of view (LFOV). Results of the data collected indicate that the FOV utilized varied widely between air-to-air and air-to-ground maneuvers. In nearly all cases, the FOV utilized for air-to-air maneuvers was symmetrical and that for air-to-ground maneuvers was skewed to one side. When air-to-ground tasks were performed in an LFOV, significantly poorer bomb scores and significantly higher release altitudes were found when compared to wide-FOV performance. A noticeable performance change in the LFOV condition was a tendency of the pilots to turn tighter into the target. The true effect of this change in flight path still needs to be investigated. Specifying one optimal LFOV for all maneuvers to be performed or trained in an operational flight simulator would be difficult if both cost and performance were to be considered. The variability of the FOV leads to the conclusion that placement of LFOV will be an important decision when considering what tasks will be performed. Full training implications cannot be determined until further transfer-of-training experiments are completed.