B767Driver
New Member
After the CHQ post, I thought it might be time to start a thread to discuss the mental aspects of professional flying...or applicable to any profession for that matter. Childish behavior can strike any of us, myself included, when difficult situations arise. A professional should have the skills to continually self assess their mental state and make corrections if necessary. At times during your professional flying career you are going to encounter turbulence, be it operational, interpersonal or otherwise. How will you handle it? How will you continue to be an effective crewmember, employee, professional? How will you stay the course when the going gets tough?
When you lose control of your emotions, self discipline breaks down and judgment and decision making suffer. You cannot perform at peak levels unless your emotions are under control.
How do you monitor your emotional control? For me, I try not to get too up when things are good or too down when things are bad. To get psyched up for a big event or a favorable conclusion leads to a peak. And where there is a peak...there's a valley. Peaks and valleys...I think...lead to instability when trying to be mentally strong and excersizing control over your emotions. I believe this can lead to impaired decision making ability.
When you are facing a single engine IFR approach...keep an even temperament. Don't let your mental state sink to a valley. After you successfully land...don't reach a peak. Your mental state will be altered and you will forget to do the next thing on your list.
I was reading an account of Apollo 11, after Neil and Buzz had just landed on the moon...a landing that quite possibly was the biggest engineering accomplishment ever. The author asked Neil what their reactions were after making the landing. Did they laugh? Did they high five? Did they celebrate? Neil said he simply looked over to Buzz and said, "After landing checklist."
I suppose my point is that professional pilots should have a strong mental state and composure over their emotions. Since this is a board for profesional and aspiring pilots...it would be a good idea for the former to lead by example and the latter to practice for the future. Resist the temptation to act like Jerry Springer taught us and stay the course. Concentrate on your objective with determination and resolve and have the patience and mental strength to finish like a pro.
These are some things I've learned by pulling gear over the past ten years with men who have been flying for 35 years. I sometimes shake my head when I hear a fourth year commuter captain is getting pretty "senior".
When you lose control of your emotions, self discipline breaks down and judgment and decision making suffer. You cannot perform at peak levels unless your emotions are under control.
How do you monitor your emotional control? For me, I try not to get too up when things are good or too down when things are bad. To get psyched up for a big event or a favorable conclusion leads to a peak. And where there is a peak...there's a valley. Peaks and valleys...I think...lead to instability when trying to be mentally strong and excersizing control over your emotions. I believe this can lead to impaired decision making ability.
When you are facing a single engine IFR approach...keep an even temperament. Don't let your mental state sink to a valley. After you successfully land...don't reach a peak. Your mental state will be altered and you will forget to do the next thing on your list.
I was reading an account of Apollo 11, after Neil and Buzz had just landed on the moon...a landing that quite possibly was the biggest engineering accomplishment ever. The author asked Neil what their reactions were after making the landing. Did they laugh? Did they high five? Did they celebrate? Neil said he simply looked over to Buzz and said, "After landing checklist."
I suppose my point is that professional pilots should have a strong mental state and composure over their emotions. Since this is a board for profesional and aspiring pilots...it would be a good idea for the former to lead by example and the latter to practice for the future. Resist the temptation to act like Jerry Springer taught us and stay the course. Concentrate on your objective with determination and resolve and have the patience and mental strength to finish like a pro.
These are some things I've learned by pulling gear over the past ten years with men who have been flying for 35 years. I sometimes shake my head when I hear a fourth year commuter captain is getting pretty "senior".
