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The purpose of this paper is to define and determine quantifiable measurements for head‐tilt and pilot fatigue by detecting and measuring the six degrees of freedom (6DOF) head motion of test subjects performing flight simulation operations.

First, a flight simulator that met the needs of the research project was designed and fabricated. Second, the tracking system was tested and deemed operable through a series of shakedown runs. Then, the head motion of test subjects was detected and measured using infrared technology. Finally, the data collected were used to establish definitions for head‐tilt and pilot fatigue.

Head‐tilt and pilot fatigue were defined and evidence of their presence was observed in the head motion data.

The goal of this research is to reduce aircraft accidents upon landing and take‐off for general, commercial, and military aviation to include unmanned aerial vehicles.

Literature which covers the definition and measurement of a pilot's head motion in flight is unclear. By defining the optokinetic phenomena of head‐tilt and precisely measuring pilot head motion and developing and using tests of pilots based on the results to screen for head‐tilt, the number of land aircraft veering off runways during both landing and takeoff can be reduced. Also, the number of aircraft overshooting the flight deck on an aircraft carrier can be reduced, as well as fewer crashes upon landing of unmanned aerial vehicles.