Improving the tactical scanning of student pilots: A gaze-based training intervention for transition from visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions

Eye tracking has been applied to train novice drivers and clinicians; however, such applications in aviation are limited. This study develops a gaze-based intervention using video-based, expert commentary, and 3M (Mistake, Mitigation, Mastery) training to instruct visual flight rule student pilots on an instrument cross-check to mitigate the risk of losing aircraft control when they inadvertently enter instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Twenty general aviation student pilots were randomized into control and experimental groups. Dwell time, return time, entropy, Kullback-Leibler divergence, and deviations from flight paths were compared before and after training to straight-and-level-flight (LF) and standard left level turn (LT) scenarios. After the training, the experimental pilots significantly increased dwell time on primary instruments (PIs), reduced randomness in visual search, and fixated on the PIs in shorter times (in the scenario of LT). In terms of piloting, all experimental pilots successfully kept the aircraft control while five control pilots lost control in IMC; significant differences in altitude and rate of climb deviations were observed between groups (in the scenario of LF).