Which of the following is a primary purpose of visual scanning?

Visual scanning is a critical skill for pilots as it allows them to actively search for other aircraft and monitor environmental changes in their surroundings. This capability enhances situational awareness, ensuring that pilots can react promptly to potential hazards, such as other aircraft, obstacles, weather changes, or other important factors that may impact the safety of the flight. By continuously scanning the environment, pilots can make informed decisions to maintain safety and navigational accuracy.

Each of the other choices represents important tasks for a pilot but does not encompass the primary purpose of visual scanning. Calculating fuel needs and determining speed and altitude are essential aspects of flight management that rely on instruments rather than visual observation. Maintaining communication with ground control is vital for operational coordination but does not directly involve visual scanning of the surroundings. Thus, the act of actively searching the environment is what defines the primary purpose of visual scanning.