Plain English Meaning

Set ways of moving your eyes — both outside the windscreen and across the instruments — so you actually see traffic, terrain, and changes instead of staring at one spot or letting your eyes wander.

Full Definition

Systematic methods of moving the eyes across the visible sky and across cockpit instruments to detect other aircraft, terrain, weather, and changes in flight parameters. Outside scanning typically uses short, regularly spaced eye movements across small sectors of sky, pausing briefly on each sector to allow the eyes to focus and detect motion. Inside scanning uses a structured pattern across the instrument panel so no instrument is neglected.

Context Anchor

Seen in safety discussions about collision avoidance, traffic , operations, and cockpit instrument checks.