Blind Spot (or Blind Zone)
A blind spot (or blind zone) is an area in the vicinity of an aircraft from which signals cannot be received by a particular navigation or communication radio installation, or an area in which an aircraft cannot be detected by a particular radar system. In a cockpit context, it also refers to areas obstructed from the pilot’s field of vision by aircraft structure.
Radio Blind Spots
VHF communications and navigation operate on line-of-sight principles. Terrain, the earth’s curvature, and the aircraft’s own structure can create zones where signals are blocked. This is why minimum reception altitudes (MEA/MOCA) exist on airways — below them, navaid signal quality is not guaranteed.
Visual Blind Spots
Aircraft structure creates visual blind spots that require active scanning technique to compensate. High-wing aircraft block upward visibility; low-wing aircraft block downward. Before a turn, the pilot should clear the turn direction by briefly banking toward it to expose the previously hidden area. This is part of the see-and-avoid responsibility.