Pilots are trained to manage emergencies and maintain calmness in high-stress situations. They do this by following a specific set of procedures, which are designed to keep the aircraft safe and the passengers calm.
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Calm Under Pressure
A commercial flight pilot is allowed to feel fear and anxiety, but they cannot express it. Even in very stressful situations, they must maintain their calm.
Pilots are trained to manage emergencies and maintain calmness in high-stress situations. They do this by following a specific set of procedures, which are designed to keep the aircraft safe and the passengers calm.
Pilots are trained to handle all sorts of nerve-racking situations, but that doesn't mean that they don't get scared—especially in these real instances, told by the pilots who experienced them, of serious in-flight fear.
“The ups and downs are constant, and we fly at all different times of the day,” Deitz says. “It's a stress on your body.” Takeoff and landing are the trickiest parts of a given flight, requiring all of a pilot's attention and mental energy. Heart rate increases during those windows, studies show.
How many pilots suffer from mental illness? This study found 233 (12.6%) airline pilots meeting depression threshold and 75 (4.1%) pilots reporting having suicidal thoughts.
Pilots with a fear of heights aren't uncommon and in fact, the majority of people who are afraid of heights aren't affected by flying in an aircraft. There is a strong feeling of security when you close the door, and you should feel very comfortable in the hands of an experienced instructor.
Professional pilots are very experienced in flying their aircraft.This experience makes the complex tasks required of them easy most of the time. However, unquestionably flying is more complicated and demanding than driving.
Fern said he believes many pilots feel a similar sense of anxiety or nervousness from time to time, but they rarely speak of it because such fears are thought to be a shameful sign of weakness. In fact, he said, such fears can be confronted and defeated, as he managed to do with the help of a professional therapist.
An airline pilot can be an extremely stressful job due to the workload, responsibilities and safety of the thousands of passengers they transport around the world. Chronic levels of stress can negatively impact one's health, job performance and cognitive functioning.
However, certain medical conditions such as a psychosis, bipolar disorder and some types of personality disorder automatically disqualify a pilot from obtaining an FAA medical certificate. Former FAA Administrator Steve Dickson addressed pilot mental health at the University of North Dakota Mental Health Summit.