In "Future Shock," written in 1970, Alvin Toffler explained that most humans had psychological problems with too rapid change. I think recent history has proven our adaptability to be greater than he thought. He made one observation, however, I think is applicable to Visual Reconnaissance.

Toffler has us imagine a man counting suitcases on a conveyor belt, with the stipulation that he will receive severe punishment for any counting error. Slowing the belt to a crawl will make him worry about double counting a bag. Speeding the belt faster a brisk walk will eventually cause psychological problems.

What makes the apparent brisk walk of our progress toward or closure with any target out the front of our low AGL aircraft comfortable is that we have more time to acquire, identify, and contemplate that target. The actual speed of closure with targets out the side window is the same but appears faster than looking forward. Pipeline patrol pilots who do their visual reconnaissance out the side window will generally fly at least 500' AGL to have a greater field of vision and thereby slow down the apparent rate of closure. Crop dusters and pilots who patrol out the front windscreen fly much lower. The pilot patrolling out the front has reduced apparent rate of closure to a brisk walk.

To reduce the apparent rate of closure to a comfortable brisk walk, we need to have time to acquire, identify, and contemplate the target. We can fly high enough to acquire the target well forward out the side window. Down low, we cannot see very far forward out the side window. Down low, it is dangerous to observe very long out the side window. Out the front windscreen, even when very low or even in an auto, we can acquire the target well forward.

At 500' AGL, eye to target distance out the side window is similar to eye to target distance out the front windscreen only as the target comes abeam and apparent rate of closure becomes greater than the apparent brisk walk.

So what can we surmise from this? Looking out the side window while spraying will likely cause us to hit something. Visual reconnaissance out the side window will be less effective and more disorienting. Greater swath width doesn't mean better spraying or better reconnaissance.

That’s deep...... I guess that’s why the light bar is out front and not on the wing......

Love your posts by the way. Thought provokers.

Who else thought this might be about virtual reality? Or is it[emoji848]

Virtual reality is too new to have clouded my mind, but what do you see out there?

Interesting stuff.

When I fly night vision goggles, rate of closure is hard to judge, because we no longer use peripheral cues.

Prolonged hovering, looking in one direction is the same.
(We have monocular vision, despite have two tubes)

Short story long, a loss of depth perception (both from NVGs and the fancy simulators we have), requires new techniques and methods to maintain "normal" actions.

UtahMaule wrote:....Who else thought this might be about virtual reality? Or is it[emoji848]

me.

Nark,

I left NMARNG just as NVG was coming in. Probably would have killed myself and crew. Completely new orientation is harder for old guys.

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