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Why Screeners Miss Guns and Knives (and why pilots miss planes and airports)



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 2nd 06, 09:41 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting,rec.aviation.student
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Default Why Screeners Miss Guns and Knives (and why pilots miss planes and airports)



http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1135...ft_column_h s

Interesting article that has application in aviation outside of
security screening. It might be a reasonably coherent explanation, for
example, of why it is so difficult to pick out another plane from
ground clutter, especially if the plane is of an unusual design.

Basically, the article discusses target-distractor similarity, where an
object is difficult to identify from distracting objects of a similar
appearance in the background, and the general problem of distractors,
which make it difficult for the eye to recognize a familiar object if
it is in an unexpected orientation or format. I think it could have
particular application in explaining why student pilots have such
difficulty picking out other aircraft or finding strange runways.

Target-distractor similarity could explain why otherwise intelligent
pilots will attempt to land at Luke AFB instead of, say Glendale even
though the pilot is familiar with both Glendale and Luke. They are not
very similar, but when distracted by roads and other ground clutter a
pilot can become temporarily disoriented. A closer example would be
confusing Reid-Hillview with other area airports.

Clutter distraction would simply mean that it is harder to recognize
another aircraft when it is flying over a cluttered background, such as
an industrial area, than when it is flying over an even cloud cover or
over water. It seems obvious, but consider what happens if you are told
the aircraft is at 3:00 low, traveling in the same direction you are.
You can look all over for an airplane, but miss the Long-EZ or
helicopter that ATC is seeing.

If a bag screener has difficulty recognizing a gun simply because the
image is reversed or in a different place from where he was used to
looking for it, consider the problem of the pilot who is looking for
another airplane that is "five miles out." Many pilots mis-report their
position for a variety of reasons, but as shown by studies like this
that can make you almost impossible to see.

An aircraft pulling out onto a runway for an intersection takeoff is
another case. The pilot may look in only one direction, or if he looks
both ways he is really only expecting traffic to come from one
particular direction. If that is the case, he may not see an oncoming
aircraft even though it is in plain sight. The eye sees it, but the
brain does not register it. You get the same sort of effect when
pulling into an intersection with a car. You expect traffic from the
left and even if you look right you might not see a bicyclist riding on
the left hand side of the road, despite his bright yellow jersey and
florescent helmet. Even worse if he is on a sidewalk.

  #2  
Old January 2nd 06, 11:53 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting,rec.aviation.student
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Default Why Screeners Miss Guns and Knives (and why pilots miss planes and airports)


"cjcampbell" wrote in message
oups.com...


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1135...ft_column_h s

Interesting article that has application in aviation outside of
security screening. It might be a reasonably coherent explanation, for
example, of why it is so difficult to pick out another plane from
ground clutter, especially if the plane is of an unusual design.

CJ
Cannot access - by password only.
Brian


  #3  
Old January 3rd 06, 05:24 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting,rec.aviation.student
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Default Why Screeners Miss Guns and Knives (and why pilots miss planes and airports)

Rats, sorry about that.

 




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