An Analysis of Pilot’s Eye Movement Metrics in Simulated Flight Scenarios

Pilot’s visual activities are closely related to flight safety in approaches with visual flight rules (VFR). The objective of this study is to investigate the differences in eye movement metrics among captains and first officers in simulated approaches with different visibility conditions. A total of twenty commercial airline pilots (ATP licensed, ten captains and ten first officers, all males) who qualified on B737-800 were recruited to participate in this study. They performed two 6 nautical mile approaches with high- (Ceiling and Visibility Okay) and low-visibility (VFR minimum) conditions with a balanced order in a high-fidelity fixed-based B737 flight training device, which can be used for flight training. Pilot’s eye movements were recorded via a glasses-type eye-tracker, including fixation, saccade, blink, and pupil diameter. The results showed main effects of visibility on mean pupil diameter, saccade count, and mean fixation time. Compared to the high-visibility condition, pilots exhibited larger mean pupil diameter, less saccade counts, and shorter mean fixation time in the low-visibility condition. Meanwhile, pilot type exerted a main effect on mean pupil diameter. Compared to captains, first officers exhibited larger mean pupil diameter. As visibility deteriorates, pilots may adjust their attention allocation strategies to cope with environmental issues. Notably, compared to captains, first officers suffered a higher level of stress in approaches, which may further influence their visual performance. The integration of eye-tracking technology and flight training in the cockpit can be used in evidence-based training to provide better understanding about pilot’s eye movements and visual performance.