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U.S. Department
Advisory
of Transportation
Federal Aviation
Administration
Circular

Subject: PILOT COMPARTMENT VIEW Date: 1/8/93 ACNo: 25.773-1

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS Initiated by: ANM-110 Change:

1. PURPOSE. This advisory circular (AC) sets forth a method for

demonstrating compliance with the airworthiness standards for transport
category airplanes pertaining to pilot compartment view. As with all AC
material, it is not mandatory and does not constitute a regulation. It is for
guidance purposes only.
2. RELATED DOCUMENTS.
a. Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR}. The related sections of Part 25
include:
§ 25.237 Wind velocities
§ 25.773 Pilot compartment view
§ 25.775 Windshields and windows
§ 25.777 Cockpit controls (seat for pilots from 5'2" to 6'3" in
height, in.consideration of the design eye position).
b. Industry Documents. The following documents are available from the
Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. (SAE), 400 Commonwealth Drive,

Warrendale, PA 15096:

ARP 2686 Location and Actuation of Flight Deck Controls for

Transport Airplanes.
ARP 4101/1 Seats and Restraint Systems for the Flight Deck.
ARP 4101/2 Pilot Visibility from the Flight Deck.
3. BACKGROUND.
a. On January 19, 1971, the FAA issued Notice of Proposed Rulemaking No.
71-2, Cockpit Vision and Cockpit Controls. This notice proposed amendments to
the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes that introduced
comprehensive cockpit vision standards and changed the range of pilot heights
used for the location and arrangement of cockpit controls. A majority of the
convnenters responding to Notice 71-2 objected to the proposed amendments. In
general, the airplane manufacturers believed the proposed requirements were
too stringent and exceeded the state-of-the-art, particularly with respect to
the size of transparent panels, considering weight and structural strength
necessary to provide clear vision in the specified areas. The manufacturing
industry, represented by the Transport Airworthiness Requirements Committee
AC 25.773-1 l/8/93

(TARC) of the Aerospace Industries Association, maintained that the proposed

size of the clear vision field was in excess of that required to meet the most
important objective of the proposed standards. That objective was to provide
optimum vision for avoidance of midair collisions in "see and be seen"
conditions of flight. The committee carried out a computerized study program
that considered 10,000,000 hypothetical cases of pairs of airplanes on
collision courses considering reasonable airplane mixes of type, speed, flight
path angles, bank angles, etc. In addition, all known available data from
actual midair collisions, reported near misses, and USAF Hazardous Air Traffic
Reports (HATR) were used.
b. The pilot compartment view that evolyed from the TARC study was
somewhat smaller and its area redistributed in comparison with existing CAM
4b.350 recommendations and those proposed in Notice 71-2. The FAA withdrew
the proposed rulemaking based on the information presented. Subsequent to
that withdrawal, the Society of Automotive Engineers Inc. (SAE), Committee
S-7, adopted the TARC recommendation as Aerospace Standard AS 5808. The FAA
has adopted the TARC/SAE pilot compartment view for this advisory circular.
Some of the SAE criteria have·been modified and adopted as guidance for
validating the pilot compartment view. Users of this circular should bear in
mind that the pilot compartment view described herein is that which the TARC
study showed to be minimum for collision avoidance. Designers are urged to
provide the maximum practicable capability in excess of this field of view.
c. It is the responsibility of the applicant to show by acceptable
means that the proposed arrangement meets the requirements of accessibility
and non-interference set forth by§ 25.777. Designers and certification
authorities are encouraged to refer to guidance in current Aerospace
Recommended Practice ARP 268G and ARP 4101/1 (replaces AS 2908) for these
considerations. These documents were also prepared by the SAE for use in
conjunction with ARP 4101/2 (replaces AS 5808).
4. CRITERIA FOR PILOT COMPARTMENT VISIBILITY.
a. The flight deck windshield must provide sufficient external v1s1on to
permit the pilot to safely perform any maneuvers within the operating limits
of the aircraft and, at the same time, afford an unobstructed view of the
flight instruments and other critical components and displays from the same
eye position. The following subparagraphs describe the minimum criteria for
pilot compartment view. Aircraft designers and manufacturers should make
every effort to build windshields that offer the pilot more external vision.
b. Design Eye Position. The design eye position is a single point
selected by the applicant that meets the requirements of§§ 25.773(d) and
25.777(c) for each pilot station. Figure 1 depicts a design eye position and
pilot compartment view for optimum collision avoidance potential for the left
pilot seat. For the right pilot seat, all left/right dimensions are reversed.

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1/8/93 AC 25.773-1

r- DESIGN EYE l"OSJTIOH

10
/
_/
V ~
~ ~

\
DEGREES
Ui"'

0 ,.,.'
DEGREES
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20

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-

120 ll'Y) r,o 0

.«)DEGREES :lO 2'JOEGREES -<o
LEFT RIGHT

Figure 1. Pilot Compartment View

AREA TO REMAIN CLEAR OF

01':STRUCTIONS W'HEN USlHO
A.WDINOCULAR VISION.

UNOl!STRUCTED VISIO~ SHOULD

INCLUDE AREA INSlDE THIS l"LA.HE.

DESIGN EYE l"OSITION

CENTRAL AXIS

Figure 2. Measurement of Angles

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AC 25.773-1 1/8/93

c. Clear Areas of Vision. The clear areas of vision should be determined

by measurement of angles from the design eye position utilizing ambinocular
vision. Ambinocular vision is the total area that can be seen by both eyes.
It is not limited to the binocular field but includes, in addition, monocular
regions visible to the right eye, but not to the left, and vice versa.
Measurements are made as depicted in figure 2 with an intraocular distance of
63.6 mm (2 1/2 inches) and utilizing rotational motion in a horizontal plane
about a central axis 84 mm (3 5/16 inches) aft of the design eye position.
These dimensions correspond to average cranial dimensions for humans. The
horizontal and vertical vision angles should be measured from: (1) a vertical
datum plane running fore and aft through the design eye point and central
axis; and (2) a horizontal datum plane perpendicular to the vertical plane
that also passes through the design eye point and central axis. The vertical
and horizontal datum planes are fixed relative to the airplane and should be
parallel to those corresponding to zero pitch and yaw angles for the airplane.
With the design eye position located per paragraph 4b, the vision through the
·transparent areas should provide the following pilot compartment view:
(1) Forward and up 35 degrees from the horizontal datum plane at 40
degrees left of the vertical datum plane, diminishing linearly to 15 degrees
up at 20 degrees right.
(2) Forward and down 17 degrees from the horizontal datum plane
between 30 degrees left and 10 degrees right of the vertical datum plane,
diminishing linearly to 10 degrees down at 20 degrees right.
(3) Forward and up 35 degrees from the horizontal datum plane between
40 degrees left and 80 degrees left of the vertical datum plane, diminishing
linearly to 15 degrees up at 120 degrees left.
(4) Forward and down 17 degrees from the horizontal datum plane at 30
degrees left of the vertical datum plane, diminishing linearly to 27 degrees
down at 70 degrees left.
(5) Forward and down 27 degrees from the horizontal datum plane
between 70 degrees left and 95 degrees left of the vertical datum plane,
diminishing linearly to 15 degrees down at 120 degrees left.
d. Landing Vision. In addition to the requirements of paragraph 4c, the
view angle forward and down should be sufficient to allow the pilot to see a
length of approach and/or touch-down zone lights that would be covered in
three seconds at landing approach speed when the aircraft is:
(1) On a 2 1/2 degree glideslope.
(2) At a decision height that places the lowest part of the aircraft
at 30.5 m (100 feet) above the touch-down zone extended horizontally.

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l/R/93 AC 25.773-1

(3) Yawing to the left to compensate for ten knots crosswind.

(4) Loaded to the most critical weight and center of gravity.
(5) Making the approach with 366 m (1200 feet) runway visual range
(RVR).
e. Obstructions to Vision.
(1) There should be no obstructions to vision between 20 degrees
right and 20 degrees left in the vision polar depicted by figure 1.
Obstructions outside this 40 degree area should be kept to a minimum; ideally
not more than three (i.e., center post, forward post, and side post). Using
ambinocular vision, it should be possible for a pilot to have vision of any
given bearing that is blocked to the other pilot from 80 degrees right to 80
degrees left of the design eye position. In addition, it is desirable that
obstructions be eliminated by using ambinocular vision with the average human
intraocular dimensions of 63.6 mm (2 1/2 inches). This would require that the
projected width of the obstruction be no greater than the intraocular
dimension. It should be possible for the pilot to eliminate any obstruction
to vision using ambinocular vision with head movement of 13 mm (1/2 inch) left
and right. In the example depicted in figure 2, head movement to the left
would eliminate the obstacle. Use of sun visors that reduce light
transmissivity are acceptable; however, totally opaque visors that impinge
upon the field of view of figure 1 should not be used.
(2) Windows and windshields that have become deteriorated in service
are considered to be airworthy only if the pilot compartment view is not
impaired below the criteria set forth in paragraph e(l).
f. Optical Properties. The windshield should exhibit optical properties
equivalent to those specified in MIL-P-25~748 for plastic windows, and
MIL-G-258718 for glass or glass-plastic windows. These documents contain
information on laminate construction, optical uniformity, luminous
transmittance, physical properties, environmental exposure, etc.
g. Precipitation. Precipitation clearing should be provided for the
windshield panels directly forward of each pilot and should be effective at
all thrust settings up to at least 1.6 Vs (clean) or 230 knots, whichever is
less. The minimum area to be cleared should be 15 degrees left to 15 degrees
right of the design eye position, upward to the horizon during the steepest
approach path expected in operation, and downward to the limits recommended in
paragraph 4c. If windshield wipers are used, wiper speeds of approximately
two sweeps per second have been found to be satisfactory in maintaining a
cleared area.
h. Compliance Considerations. A method traditionally used for showing
compliance with the viewing requirements has been a somewhat exotic camera
system. Other methods are also allowed, including 3-D graphics systems and
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AC 25.773-1 1/8/93

simple surveying equipment. The formation of the vision boundaries described

in this advisory circular is based on flight at subsonic speeds. Any aircraft
featuring variable nose geometry, or those capable of making STOL/VSTOL steep
approaches, should be subject to special compliance considerations.

DAVID G. HI L
Acting Ma er, Transport Airplane Directorate
Aircraft Certification Service, ANM-100

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