The intense air combat sequence in movies is familiar to many moviegoers with a target in sight, virtual guides assist the pilot as they aim their weapon and lock on before firing.
Such on-screen guides are projected within a head-up display (HUD), so-called because the pilot’s head remains upright with the gaze focused on the external environment, rather than looking downwards at another screen or instrument panel.
U.S. Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat aligned in the HUD of another aircraft during air combat maneuvering, 2013. Image Credit: By U.S. Navy [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
A HUD is any transparent display that offers a pilot an unbroken view of key flight information, projected directly into the pilot s line of sight (e.g., just inside the windshield or on a screen) – this enables the pilot to keep their eyes focused outside the aircraft.
Civilian aircraft crashes at Barksdale; two confirmed dead December 16, 2020 A civilian light aircraft crashed on the east side of Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana Wednesday morning. (Airman 1st Class Sydney Campbell/Air Force) A civilian light aircraft crashed on the east side of Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana Wednesday morning, the base said in a release. Barksdale spokesman Master Sgt. David Dobrydney confirmed in a follow-up email that two unidentified people died in the crash. No further details about the type of aircraft or the crash victims were immediately available, he said.
Stephen Losey
November 8, 2019 According to Barksdale’s release, local air traffic controllers lost radar contact with the aircraft over the base’s east reservation at about 4:45 a.m. The FAA alerted the base at about 5 a.m., and first responders began a search and rescue operation.