Night Flight Flashcards
What are some natural ambient light sources?
Lunar
Solar
Starlight
Sky glow
What are some artificial light sources?
Aircraft lighting, lasers, city lights
What are the two types of visual cues?
Binocular and monocular
What are the two factors of binocular vision?
Convergence, which measures the difference in the angle of two eyes…steeping the angle, closer the object
Stereopsis is the difference in the images in the retina of two eyes…the amount of overlap of an image helps determine the distance between two eyes
What are the moncular cues?
Geometric perspective
Retinal Image
Aerial perspective
Motion Parallax
What is geometric perspective?
An object appears to have a different shape when it’s viewed at varying distances and angles.
(LAV)
Linear Perspective: parallel lines converge at a distance, like railroad tracks
Apparent Foreshortening: the shape of an object will appear distorted at distances and angles, like round objects appearing elliptical
Vertical Position in the Field: something that is greater in distance will appear higher in the FOV
What is retinal image size?
An image focused on the retina is perceived by the brain to be of given size
(KITO)
Known Size of an Object: the closer an object is, the larger the retinal image, usually based on experience with that object
Increasing and decreasing size: if the retinal image is increasing in size, it is moving closer
Terrestrial Association: comparison of one object to another to determine size, like a helicopter in the pattern vs. the distance of that airfield
Overlapping contours: an object partially concealed behind another is further away
What is aerial perspective?
An objects clarity and shadows are perceived by the brain and cues for estimating distance
(FLP)
Fading color or shades: colors tend to fade with distance, though smoke, haze will affect the perceived distance
Loss of detail or texture: sharpness and clarity are reduced or less apparent at further distances
Position of light source: the direction of a shadow will be help determine direction of light source
What is motion parallax?
Primary visual cue for depth perception when hovering. This is the apparent relative motion to a stationary object. Near objects will tend to move opposite the path of movement and at a higher rate
What are some light hazards to night flight?
Lasers, aircraft lighting, cockpit lighting, anti-collision lighting, landing or search light, position lights, supplemental lighting
