Modeling the pilot in visually controlled flight

The simplest model for a human operator is a gain with a time delay (which usually ranges between 0.15 and 0.4 s). However, there have been no comprehensive studies evaluating human control strategies in visually controlled flight (i.e. flight using a visual scene and not instruments). The results of preliminary studies on this topic are described. Human visually guided flight control is important both in low-level flight, where it predominates, and in higher-altitude flights, where instrument failure is always a potential danger. Two general approaches to this problem, one founded on high-order perceptual psychophysics and the other on control systems engineering, are described. Initial results show that the use of control engineering modeling techniques, together with a psychophysical analysis of information in the perspective scene, holds promise for capturing the manual control strategies used during visual flight.<>