Why Do I Need to Develop my Skills?

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Like many skills and professions, as a pilot of an aircraft, you are always learning, adapting, gaining experience, and expanding your knowledge. These skills are required regardless of whether you're operating in a busy TMA, or VFR in Class G airspace.

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From the moment you start an engine you are embarking on a unique journey where you must, at all times, expect the unexpected.

 

Human Factors and CRM were introduced a number of years ago in order to better integrate human beings with the ever-evolving sophistication in technology, and to enhance the way crew communicate and interact with others involved in the daily operation of aircraft. The overall goal is to improve flight safety by means of improving crew training and procedures that help humans to perform better, especially under pressure.

To maintain these skills and procedures certain standards are set that must be upheld if safety is also to be maintained. This means that as flight crew you are subjected to your annual Line Checks, OPCs and LPCs.

There are some who welcome the opportunity to prove their competence at flying the line, the challenge of handling aircraft in abnormal situations and configurations, or relish the chance of experiencing a simulation of a rare malfunction.

However, for many, these expectations to perform, and be subjected to scrutiny and judgement can often degrade our ability and skill just at a moment when you want to 'up your game' - everyone handles pressure differently.

We all know as pilots, about the arousal curve which depicts the relationship between pressure and performance: performance is increased with an increase in arousal, but only up to a point. Beyond a certain point performance rapidly decreases with arousal. Therefore if you start your day feeling already rather stressed due to various factors such as being late to report due to traffic congestion, or feeling fatigued, then you are starting higher up the arousal curve which leaves less of a margin before you reach the point of degradation.

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The 'Startle Effect.'

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The startle response, which in professional circles is also referred to as amygdala (or limbic) hijack, is the physical and mental response to a sudden intense and unexpected stimulus. The amygdala is the part of the brain which is responsible for activating the 'fight or flight' reflex in response to what may be perceived as a harmful event: an attack, a threat to survival, or more simply, to fear itself. The fight or flight response enables us to react with appropriate action: to run away, to fight, or sometimes, to freeze to be a less visible target. In some circumstances, it can also lead to actions inappropriate for the situation.

In aviation, the startle effect can be defined as an uncontrollable, automatic reflex that is elicited by exposure to a sudden, intense event that violates a pilot’s expectations.

The startle effect includes both the physical and mental responses to a sudden unexpected stimulus. While the physical responses are automatic and virtually instantaneous, the mental responses - the conscious processing and evaluation of the sensory information - can be much slower. In fact, the ability to process the sensory information - to evaluate the situation and take appropriate action - can be seriously impaired or even overwhelmed by the intense physiological responses. Therefore, the time that it takes to recover in a cognitive sense after a startle event, can negatively influence an individual’s decision making and problem solving abilities.

 

How Can I Help?...

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I consider myself to be in a relatively unique position in that I have over 25 years experience as a Pilot, during which I have been a Flying Instructor, Line Check Captain, Training Captain and TRE. Therefore I have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the demands expected of pilots and the testing that we are subjected to. I am also a qualified Hypnotherapist trained in aspects of both CBT and hypnosis which are ideally suited to understanding and changing a person's thought processes and how they react.

As humans we are all subjected to unique experiences and situations which develop our belief system and determines our behaviour - after all, there are those of us who actually thrive on 'chaos,' while others get overwhelmed at what most would consider minor or trivial changes in circumstance.

Therefore how we handle stress is a highly subjective experience. The difference in factors such as emotional wellbeing, self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-belief, influence why two people may face the same situation and experience it differently.

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Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy and Rapid Transformational Therapy can help by:

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• Acquiring more self-awareness and better understanding of current responses and coping skills.

• Understanding the root cause.

• Relaxation and breathing techniques.

• Building internal resources and coping mechanisms through the use of cognitive restructuring, mindfulness, imagery, skill rehearsal.

• Building self-confidence and self-belief through the use of suggestions during hypnosis.

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