Luisca From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (5 years 9 months 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 5926 times:
Interesting Article on Airlinepilotcentral, curtesy of ALPA on the pilot personality, I dont know about you other pilots out their but I felt like they read my book.
Quote: Pilots are a distinct segment of the general population. In addition to flying skills, pilots are selected for their personalities and for a distinct "pilot persona." These characteristics make them safer pilots.
Some of the nail in the head points for me:
Quote: Pilots are inclined to modify their environment rather than their own behavior. Pilots need excitement; a 9-to-5 job would drive most pilots to distraction. Pilots are competitive, being driven by a need to achieve, and don't handle failure particularly well. Pilots have a low tolerance for personal imperfection, and long memories of perceived injustices.
Pilots tend to be scanners, drawing conclusions rapidly about situational facts. Pilots scan people as if they were instruments; they draw conclusions at a glance rather than relying on long and emotion-laden converstaions.
I used to hate every single part time I have ever had especially ones that involved sitting.
Quote: Pilots avoid introspection and have difficulty revealing, expressing, or even recognizing their feelings. When they do experience unwanted feelings, they tend to mask them, sometimes with humor or even anger. Being unemotional helps pilots deal with crises, but can make them insensitive toward the feelings of others. The spouses and children of pilots frequently complain that the pilot has difficulty expressing complex human emotions toward them.
Its like listening to my girlfriend all over again!
Asuflyer05 From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 2369 posts, RR: 3 Reply 4, posted (5 years 9 months 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 5650 times:
It sounds like they stuck a bunch of pilots in a room and had them take one of those funny multiple-choice psych tests.
Cross757 From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 143 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (5 years 9 months 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 5484 times:
Quoting Luisca (Thread starter): Quote:
Pilots are inclined to modify their environment rather than their own behavior. Pilots need excitement; a 9-to-5 job would drive most pilots to distraction. Pilots are competitive, being driven by a need to achieve, and don't handle failure particularly well. Pilots have a low tolerance for personal imperfection, and long memories of perceived injustices.
Pilots tend to be scanners, drawing conclusions rapidly about situational facts. Pilots scan people as if they were instruments; they draw conclusions at a glance rather than relying on long and emotion-laden converstaions.
From experience I would say this is relatively accurate, although I would agree that this behavior is somewhat generalized as in my opinion it also applies to doctors, fire fighters, etc...
Quoting Luisca (Thread starter): Quote:
Pilots avoid introspection and have difficulty revealing, expressing, or even recognizing their feelings. When they do experience unwanted feelings, they tend to mask them, sometimes with humor or even anger. Being unemotional helps pilots deal with crises, but can make them insensitive toward the feelings of others. The spouses and children of pilots frequently complain that the pilot has difficulty expressing complex human emotions toward them.
I agree with this completely...this seems to be taken word for word from the, "How to behave like a Fighter Pilot" handbook ! Being able to "compartmentalize" your feelings helps to maintain the proper perspective and emotional state of mind needed to deal with complex in-flight emergency situations, or an instrument approach down to mins at night in the weather, and especially in combat. It's a survival instinct.
IAirAllie From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (5 years 9 months 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 5260 times:
Quoting Caboclo (Reply 1): That's not pilots, that's just men. Any lady pilots care to comment; does that sound like you?
Female pilot here, I'm not a professional pilot yet but I do fly and this applies pretty accurately to me. I really only deviate in the fast toys category. I like safe better. I bought my CR-V for it's safety record instead of something sportier.
MD88Captain From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 1287 posts, RR: 22 Reply 13, posted (5 years 9 months 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 5130 times:
That's actually a pretty acurate description of the men I work with everyday. Of course it is a generalization. But there are elements of that description in many, many pilots. It makes them good pilots and really screws up lives and relationships.
Cross757 From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 143 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (5 years 9 months 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 5052 times:
Quoting Luisca (Thread starter): In addition to flying skills, pilots are selected for their personalities and for a distinct "pilot persona."
Can anyone in the airline business tell me if psychological testing is part of the interview process?
I had to complete one day of psychological tests before beginning pilot training in the military. We were never interviewed one-on-one, but instead took several multiple choice tests. We were told that the test results were kept secret until after (if) we completed pilot training and earned our wings, after which we could call back and they would share the results. Apparently the goal was to establish a sort of "personality database" that could be used, in the future, to pre-screen the potential of an individual to pass the program, and to see if some personality types were more inclined to fly fighter-type aircraft and others were more suited to transports/tankers, etc.
However I never called to get my results, for fear it might say, "Don't let this guy anywhere near an airplane!". Maybe someday I'll decide to find out.
AAR90 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 3410 posts, RR: 50 Reply 15, posted (5 years 9 months 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 4940 times:
Quoting Cross757 (Reply 14): Can anyone in the airline business tell me if psychological testing is part of the interview process?
Yes.
Quote: I had to complete one day of psychological tests before beginning pilot training in the military.
Which is why most airlines exempt ex-military folks from the pre-hire psych. testing... it has already been done.
Quote: Apparently the goal was to establish a sort of "personality database" that could be used, in the future, to pre-screen the potential of an individual to pass the program, and to see if some personality types were more inclined to fly fighter-type aircraft and others were more suited to transports/tankers, etc.
Not to "establish" as the database was completed decades ago (you only added more data), and the desired traits have been well known for almost as long. The military psych. testing is essentially a "pass/fail" point. If you pass, you continue on with training as you have enough good traits that the military will spend the $ to train you. "Fail" simply means it is not cost effective to "take a chance" on your personality being "right" for the military pilot job. They might lose out on an exceptional military pilot, but there are always hundreds more applicants than available training slots.
Quote: However I never called to get my results, for fear it might say, "Don't let this guy anywhere near an airplane!". Maybe someday I'll decide to find out.
It'll be a pretty generic type result: "tends to like...."; "tends to not like...."; "would be good at....."; "would not be good at...." My daughters are both Psych majors and (naturally) wanted to see what their dad was supposed to be like.
*NO CARRIER* -- A Naval Aviator's worst nightmare!
Platinumfoota From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 543 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (5 years 9 months 13 hours ago) and read 4729 times:
Thats me!!
Quoting Luisca (Thread starter): Pilots tend to be scanners, drawing conclusions rapidly about situational facts. Pilots scan people as if they were instruments; they draw conclusions at a glance rather than relying on long and emotion-laden converstaions.
FlySSC From France, joined Aug 2003, 7313 posts, RR: 61 Reply 18, posted (5 years 9 months 10 hours ago) and read 4658 times:
Is it said somewhere that (most) pilots are oversized ego and selfish persons ?
That they are only interested in money ? the money they make, and how could they make more ?
That their conversations in the cockpit are 95% of the time on Money, their new (bigger) house, new (bigger) car, new (bigger) swimming pool, and the "pension" they have to pay monthly to their 2 or 3 ex-wives ?
That they consider F/A as their slaves and always want to be served at the worst moment, at the same time of the Passengers ?
That Hotels are never good enough for them, and in any case, F/A should be put in a lower category ?
That they are never to blame for a hard landing ... but have to praised for a kiss landing ?
Cross757 From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 143 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (5 years 9 months 8 hours ago) and read 4599 times:
Quoting AAR90 (Reply 15): Not to "establish" as the database was completed decades ago (you only added more data), and the desired traits have been well known for almost as long. The military psych. testing is essentially a "pass/fail" point. If you pass, you continue on with training as you have enough good traits that the military will spend the $ to train you. "Fail" simply means it is not cost effective to "take a chance" on your personality being "right" for the military pilot job. They might lose out on an exceptional military pilot, but there are always hundreds more applicants than available training slots.
Then again, perhaps the purpose is to determine if we are crazy enough to do the things we sometimes have to do...
Planespotting From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 3438 posts, RR: 5 Reply 20, posted (5 years 9 months 8 hours ago) and read 4572 times:
That article's ridiculous - it could have gotten the same responses after polling 1000 men about how they act with other men, and then taking the top responses about how men perceive themselves.
Male pilots, while flying, are usually emotionally aloof. Female pilots (after a few hundred hours) are too. This can and does change back on the ground.
Most of the attributes in the article don't apply to me, but I've been a pilot for the past 7 years. I'm not an airline pilot, so maybe that says something, and I have a 9-to-5 job, but as a writer - who have their own personality quirks.
I saw an article written awhile ago about the most famous writers in the past 30 years, like Tom Wolfe, Truman Capote, Hunter S. Thompson, etc...all had fucked up love life's and massive drug addictions. Thompson died of a shotgun blast to the head in his holed up compound somewhere in Colorado.
777jaah From Colombia, joined Jan 2006, 1401 posts, RR: 2 Reply 21, posted (5 years 9 months 4 hours ago) and read 4466 times:
Quoting FlySSC (Reply 18): That their conversations in the cockpit are 95% of the time on Money, their new (bigger) house, new (bigger) car, new (bigger) swimming pool, and the "pension" they have to pay monthly to their 2 or 3 ex-wives ?
No, that's for us, traders (We do REALLY have a nasty reputation with this).........just without the cockpit.....I wish I could buy one
JAAH
Next flights: AV BOG-ADZ-BOG, AV-UA BOG-IAD-ORD-IAD-BOG, BOG-FLL-BOG, LA BOG-MIA-BOG J
CoolGuy From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 410 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (5 years 9 months 2 hours ago) and read 4409 times:
Quoting FlySSC (Reply 18): That their conversations in the cockpit are 95% of the time on Money, their new (bigger) house, new (bigger) car, new (bigger) swimming pool, and the "pension" they have to pay monthly to their 2 or 3 ex-wives ?
Is that why pilots are always very delighted to actually talk about aviation with me (a passenger). It gives them that variety they're looking for (as opposed to the 95% of their discussions).
TXKF2010 From Bermuda, joined Nov 2005, 157 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (5 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 4286 times:
Even hit the nail on the head for the lone rasta pilot
Quoting Luisca (Thread starter): Pilots are inclined to modify their environment rather than their own behavior. Pilots need excitement; a 9-to-5 job would drive most pilots to distraction. Pilots are competitive, being driven by a need to achieve, and don't handle failure particularly well. Pilots have a low tolerance for personal imperfection, and long memories of perceived injustices
Quoting Luisca (Thread starter): Pilots avoid introspection and have difficulty revealing, expressing, or even recognizing their feelings. When they do experience unwanted feelings, they tend to mask them, sometimes with humor or even anger
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