So maybe the pilot has some crazy ability to track a flying object perfectly while turning, but try doing it in any game and I think you will fail.
So maybe the pilot has some crazy ability to track a flying object perfectly while turning, but try doing it in any game and I think you will fail.
The vertical lines to the left and right of the object appear computer controlled, to me, especially because they track the left and right edges of the object and the vertical length changes in a way that seems reactive to the object on screen.
The brief moment where those lines don't have the object centered and then it just jumps back into place (at the very end of the video ~31-32s) screams computer assisted to me.
In short, I don't think that's manual tracking, because I'm pretty sure that even a Navy pilot would have trouble tracking it that perfectly by hand.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/ASQ-228_ATFLIR [1] https://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/atflir/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi9d8bstWsE&t=80
The stability seems to be about the same as in the NYT video.