An experienced pilot will make a better decision about whether to attempt a marginal landing while showing only about half as much brain activity as less experienced pilots, according to a recent study completed by scientists at Stanford University. A report on AVweb quotes the study’s lead author, Maheen Adamson: “The data show that the expert pilot seems to just know what to look for, where to look and when to look.”
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practice practice practice makes perfect perfect perfect. no brainer!
I have found via carefull study that the more experience I have in parking my car, the better and faster I get in doing so. Then I convince myself that I am so good at it, I no longer need to make any judgements about where the adjacent cars are. And via good documention, I can show that when that is the case, I end up bumping into those cars. Similarly, when on approach to a landing, I stick my hand out the tiny “all clear” window so that I can “feal” the amount of crosswind without having to find the windsock or bother with AWOS. Works perfectly everytime. I just have to remember to pull my hand back in just prior to touchdown.
Similar to the study showing that toddlers fall crash tricycles more than bikes because ttikes have three wheels.
I’m going to try for a high dollar government grant to discover why those who have never flown don’t fly as well as those why fly regularly. Take me about ten minutes to write the findings in proper form, then take the cash and buy myself an airplane.
I may have found my road to riches.
I meant “toddlers crash tricycles more than bikes because trikes have three wheels”.
Can we get an “edit” button?
Is this study just confirming the obvious? Could it be that the experienced pilot is more efficient precisely BECAUSE they have more experience? When learning any new skill, it initially requires a large amount of conscious thought to complete the task. When learning to ride a bike, you initially have to make the decision to turn in the direction that you’re falling. Then once your brain has done it enough times, it becomes automatic and you don’t have to consciously think about it all. Maybe experienced pilots can just glance at the approach and based on the hundreds or thousands of previous landings, their brain can more easily come to a decision on whether it “looks good” without a lot of conscious thought?
I am all for trying to figure out how to make pilots safer. But in this case, is the conclusion just that pilots need to get more experience? And I’m stating that as a question to give the researchers the benefit of the doubt. But if the answer is just that more experience is needed, is this something that simulator training could be useful for? Train over and over again with marginal conditions until it becomes easier? Maybe the WAY to “train pilots to allocate resources in the brain more efficiently” IS to just practice? The researchers already have the set up to test their original hypothesis. How about expanding on that be taking some of the less-experienced pilots and have them go through lots of practice sessions with their simulator, and then repeat the test and see how they do?
If one is comfortable doing ANYTHING it takes less brain activity than one who is nervious. My thoughts.
A study that discovered that experience matters! Who woulda ever guessed?
Article states:
“…..train them (pilots) to reallocate resources in the brain more efficiently,”
Now just who has the added brain power necessary to spend time “reallocating resources in the brain”. Pleeeeeeeeze give us a break. When the chips are down its needle, ball, and airspeed, ie. aviate, then navigate, then and only then communicate. Stated differently take charge of and fly the airplane properly using only the instruments then determine precisely the three dimensional position of the airplane then fly to a VFR airport with a known ceiling and visability. If you can’t do those things successfully every time then you have no business in an airplane. Forget about the theoretical philisophy stuff……………
Tom, that’s just academic speak for knowing what to do and when. More experienced pilots do that more automatically than less experienced pilots. It’s all about practice, practice, practice. The more you do it, the easier it gets.
You stated “knowing what to do and when”. Well that sort of sums it up then doesn’t it. Then why all of the hoopla about some sophisticated mind/brain control. I will tell you why. It’s because these types are only interested in getting funded (read that government funds) for what is always esoteric nonsense if not downright Devil oriented. Being a pilot is simply a skill albeit one that involves many things but a skill nontheless. Concentration on keeping the main thing the main thing is all that is necessary when looking at it from a secular skill level only. That’s it. Get the wings level and get the ball centered. Have you got that? Now if you want to know what separates the real winners from the losers you have to look to Biblical truths. If you don’t want to go there then too bad for you because when the chips are down only “skill” will not always get you satisfactory results. Forget about the “psycological” mind control methods that the world teaches. It’s a dead end because it is not based on “thee” truth.