Feeling blue that with November here, winter is not far behind? Grounded pilots have a good excuse to spend their time playing video games when they can’t get a real flight fix. A study of cadets in the Israeli Air Force flight school showed that a game-playing group performed better in real-life flying tests than non-gaming cadets. Standard commercial combat-game software was used. The study found the games required skills in tracking, monitoring, situation assessment and memory, and honed workload-coping and attention-management skills. The video training was subsequently incorporated into the flight-school curriculum. Now, 10 years after that study, the same researchers are developing software targeted at improving the scores of basketball players. Aimed at college and professional teams, the “IntelliGym” products claim to give a competitive edge — exercise for the brain. Can games for pilots be far behind?
Video Games Help Fighter Pilots
Key Takeaways:
- A study at the Israeli Air Force flight school found that cadets who played commercial combat video games performed better in real-life flying tests than non-gaming cadets.
- The games enhanced skills like tracking, situation assessment, memory, and attention management, leading to their integration into the flight-school curriculum.
- The researchers behind this study are now developing "IntelliGym" software to improve performance in other sports like basketball, suggesting potential for future specialized brain-training games for pilots.
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