Citation

Pongratz H, Vaic H, Reinecke M, Ercoline W, Cohen D. SAFE J. 1999; 29(1): 7-11.

Affiliation

German Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine, Fuerstenfeldbruck, Germany

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, SAFE Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Recently, the German Air Force (GAF) confronted a unique situation. The delivery of East German aircraft, namely MIG-29s, came with attitude displays that were largely unfamiliar. In jet aircraft attitude indicators (AIs) take two basic approaches: 'outside-in' and 'inside-out.' In an outside-in implementation, attitude is displayed by the position of an aircraft symbol with respect to a fixed horizon. Conversely, an inside-out indicator moves the horizon with respect to a fixed aircraft symbol. Whereas, GAF pilots fly with inside-out AIs and head-up displays (HUDs), the delivered MiG-29s displayed pitch inside-out but bank outside-in. This paper summarizes the problems identified by the GAF test-pilots who have flown both displays and provides some recommendations to combat the spatial disorientation that may result from those problems.

Language: en