How should two aircraft approaching head on avoid each other?

When two aircraft are approaching each other head-on, the correct procedure for avoiding a collision is for both pilots to turn right. This maneuver helps to ensure that each aircraft will pass to the right side of each other, thereby maintaining a safe distance and improving the chance of clear passage between the two. Turning right keeps both aircraft in a predictable pattern and reduces the risk of confusion about which way the other aircraft is maneuvering.

Other methods such as diving or climbing, as suggested in some alternatives, do not provide the same level of predictability and could potentially lead to a more dangerous situation where the vertical separation might not be maintained properly. Similarly, both turning left could lead them to collide since they would be coming closer together and could result in opposite maneuvers that introduce risk rather than resolution. The right turn is universally recognized in aviation regulations and best practices for head-on encounters, making it the safest and most effective action to take in such situations.