Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
By CessnaAL25
#1559363
Hi im new to the forum.
Im a pilot with under 500 hours on mainly cessna and robin types.

I have been watching many youtube videos recently and the amount of pilots that use the main front windows only as opposed to scanning the side windows as a 180 degree lookout quite frankly scares me and ive had to avoid many contacts who have probably been heads down in VFR and had to take aggressive avoiding action.

In my belief better instruction on lookouts should be given and traffic services should be obtained if possible.

Call me paranoid but converging with a DA40 who took no action did make me wonder.

CessnaAL. :shock:
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By Balliol
#1559377
The OP is not wrong, lookout standards vary considerably in my experience and the growth of in cockpit ipads etc.. has made it worse as it is far too easy to get sucked into heads down and staring at the screens (I have to try really hard to not do it myself!). There are also stacks of aeros videos on the internet where there is invariably no upward / up and behind lookout before pulling through the vertical.
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1559380
Balliol wrote:the growth of in cockpit ipads etc.. has made it worse as it is far too easy to get sucked into heads down and staring at the screens (I have to try really hard to not do it myself!.


I totally dis-agree with this.

It takes me about 2 seconds to glance at the moving map display and see exactly where I am plus the number of degrees off track I am. Moving Map GPS means I dont need to spend any time looking down at a map & kneeboard and then at the ground to figure where I am then work out how far from the line I am and if my heading is correct compared to the plog and how much I need to change it etc etc etc... Therefore I reckon my lookout is infinitely better as a result.

Regards, SD..
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By kanga
#1559382
youtube videos inevitably show (only) where the GoPro (fixed to aircraft, or sometimes pilot's anatomy eg chest) was pointing. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable judging from them alone how (im)mobile pilot's eyeballs or (in)active pilot's lookout was. Some do give some clues, however, when GoPro is behind pilot (eg in rear cockpit of a tandem), and pilot's head swivels or lack thereof are clear, but even then eyeballs are not shown.
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By Dave W
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1559383
Concur with @skydriller; I have much more time to lookout now I'm not managing paper maps.

Doesn't mean my lookout couldn't be improved though; but that's technique, not distraction.
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By CessnaAL25
#1559387
After reading some great feedback and advice which i have taken in myself. I just want to advise everyone up there flying that 180° lookout in vfr weather conditions that your eyes ultimately are ypur last line of defence and i hope people take this into consideration. Cessna Al.
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By golfcharlie
#1559437
Quite obviously, a regular left-to-right/right-to-left scan, plus 20 degrees or so up or down, is a 'good thing'. We were all taught to do this. Modern cockpit distractions, will not provide 100% anti-collision certainty. In my experience, an equally important precaution comes when doing the pre-flight navigation prep in choosing a route that avoids likely hot spots. Also one needs enhanced alertness when: approaching pinch points such as the outer edge of an ATZ; when to/from a beacon (be a bit offset to miss those coming in the opposite direction); when in the vicinity of any other aerodrome (that's where aeroplanes tend to gather); and on a lovely day, to understand where sailplanes are likely to congregate (the giveaway: thermals activity, Cumulus/Lenticular clouds; mountain slopes/wave, soaring sites as marked on the chart). If you are flying with a co-pilot/friend in the right seat, give them a lookout job to do and tell them what you want them to look for and why. You will probably get 20 false alarms for every possible threat. Adds to the fun.
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By T67M
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1559446
One of the biggest points I teach for using GPS safely in flight is to make sure that you don't get sucked into an "eyes-in" way of working. I see it with paper charts too, but it's much more likely with GPS, and is my personal top "bad habit to break" when doing biennial flights with an instructor. It does seem that the bigger the GPS, the worse the problem is - people using phones to run SkyDemon are less likely to be "eyes-in" that those using a mini-iPad, who in turn are better than people using a full-size iPad. Worst of all are people using a G1000, especially one coupled up to an Avidyne TAS showing (some) traffic on-screen.
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By leiafee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1559531
The safety evenings bang on about it a lot.

It's easy to drift off and not do though. I can think of any number of occasions I've been flying and suddenly realise I'm spectating/sight-seeing not reslly looking out.

I was also picked up on mine by the good AndyR of this parish when learning tailwheel with him - I wasn't always having a good into-turn look above the wing.

Also pointed out to ssibly at a safety evening was to spend a little more time on the sides-to-rear quarters as I am slllooowww and the odds of something faster converging on me from behind are correspondingly higher
By cockney steve
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1559550
:@leiafee said

as I am slllooowww
really?,- You always struck me as pretty bright! Suggest you stop benchmarking against sky-gods. :P
By Cessna57
#1559571
I don't understand how a GPS makes you "eyes in", does anyone watch themselves flying along a magenta line ?

I might glance down once every 5 minutes or so for about 5 seconds. Much less than with a map.

If I'm in the local area, I start the magenta line up, then attach the phone to my kneeboard and don't look at it again until I check my flight times for the log after landing. Bad scan has nothing to do with GPS imho.

However, I do find myself scanning the front windows and then going "oops, should look out of these side ones too"

Another good thread reminding us how to be better pilots :thumleft:
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By davef77
#1559572
leiafee wrote:Also pointed out to ssibly at a safety evening was to spend a little more time on the sides-to-rear quarters as I am slllooowww and the odds of something faster converging on me from behind are correspondingly higher


:lol:

I have the reverse problem. One of the things about my new aeroplane that I like is that, mostly, it will be down to me. Not too many GA aeroplanes will run into me from behind :lol: 8)
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