On Tuesday, March 4, 2014 1:13:49 PM UTC-5, son_of_flubber wrote:
Why are pilots so committed to the idea that they can reliably judge airspeed by looking at the sight picture over the nose? What if the runway tilts up and it is surrounded by hills and trees? The only time that I bet my life on the sight picture is when I'm on a steep final, I'm holding the air brake at a constant setting, and I'm sure that the glide angle and the touchdown point are stable and unchanging.

It is not the sight picture itself, it is the change in the sight picture that needs to be noticed.
If you are staring at the wing tip. or the landing target, you likley aren't noticing that you pulled the nose up in the turn or were skidding. Obviously terrain affects the sight picture.
When looking at the nose, a quick eye movement allows the airspeed to be checked for confirmation.
UH