Further Investigation of Contrast Sensitivity and Visual Acuity in Pilot Detection of Aircraft

摘要

The relationship between visual function and aircraft detection was investigated using 67 USAF pilots. Contrast sensitivity was measured using the 2-AFC technique on the Optronix and with the Vistech chart. Visual acuity was assessed at three (3%, 6%, and 85%) chart contrasts. Pilots detected an approaching T-38 jet during 8 landings in 8 separate groups. Mean detection distance ranged from 4.77 to 6.73 miles for each group. For these partly-cloudy to cloudy test conditions, neither contrast sensitivity nor visual acuity correlated well with detection distance. There was a lack of consistency for the contrast sensitivity at any particular spatial frequency to correlate with detection. The best indicator of subjects with worse detection distances was performance on the visual acuity charts, but lower contrast sensitivity rarely identified the subjects with shorter detection distances. Neither contrast sensitivity nor visual acuity was able to identify the pilots with the best detection distances. Keywords: Flight crews, Vision, Visual perception. (sdw)