Predator pilots suffer higher fatigue than real pilots

clive bradbury · 04-17-08, 09:50 AM

This is actually quite an interesting piece. I don't fly myself, but do use flight sims. I have heard pilots say that flying a sim is harder than the real thing - I wouldn't know. Presumably this is because in real life you have a range of rapid sensory inputs which tends to keep the act of flying varied, and it is well known that variation in any activity tends to maintain attention and concentration levels for longer periods. It appears that sitting staring at a screen is just as tiring when flying a real life plane as a simulated one.

Of course, the fear of crashing in flames may also help to maintain concentration levels for real life pilots, too.

04-17-08, 09:50 AM	#11
clive bradbury Captain Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: stoke-on-trent, UK Posts: 492 Downloads: 105 Uploads: 0	This is actually quite an interesting piece. I don't fly myself, but do use flight sims. I have heard pilots say that flying a sim is harder than the real thing - I wouldn't know. Presumably this is because in real life you have a range of rapid sensory inputs which tends to keep the act of flying varied, and it is well known that variation in any activity tends to maintain attention and concentration levels for longer periods. It appears that sitting staring at a screen is just as tiring when flying a real life plane as a simulated one. Of course, the fear of crashing in flames may also help to maintain concentration levels for real life pilots, too.