Sep
12
The Pilot Personality
Filed Under Blogroll
I came across this today from ALPA (airline union). I thought it was very interesting, and some of the qualities I do display!
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.
Pilots tend to be physically and mentally healthy. Pilots tend to be “reality based,” because by the very nature of their work they are constantly testing reality. There are those, however who would dispute this claim.
Pilots tend to be self-sufficient and may have difficulty functioning in team situations without CRM and other training. They have difficulty trusting anyone to do the job as well as they can. Pilots tend to be suspicious, even a little paranoid. In moderation, this quality serves them well within their environment and is, in fact, a quality that managements look for in the pilot personality. Outside the cockpit, this quality shows up in the tendency of many pilots to set two or three alarm clocks– even though he or she may generally wake up before any of the pilots go off. The suspicious/paranoid tendency also affects the way pilots function in their private lives, as well.
Pilots tend to be intelligent but are typically not intellectually oriented. They like “toys”– boats, cars, motorcycles, big watches, etc. They are good at taking things apart, if not putting them back together. Pilots are concrete, practical, linear thinkers rather than abstract, philosophical, or theoretical. On a scale that ranges from analytically oriented to emotionally oriented, pilots tend to be toward the analytical end. They are extremely reality- and goal-oriented. They like lists showing concrete problems, not talking about them. This goal orientation tends towards the short term as opposed to the long term. Pilots are bimodal: on/off, black/white, good/bad, safe/unsafe, regulations/non-regulations.
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.
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.
This emotional “block” can create difficulty communicating. How many incidents or accidents have occurred due to poor communications? The vast majority of Professional Standards cases will be caused by poor communication.
Courtesy of ALPA
I’m not a pilot but I think some of the things mentioned apply to me too - I’m emotional though.
By the way… it was about time to have the website updated!
hey PJ, it’s good to see you again. i was starting to get worried but glad to see your back.
Yewp glad to see your back posting - what was wrong? writers block???? Selection of the winner of the t-shirt problems??
towards the understanding of the P.I.L.O.T. being! No wonder it can be tough to communicate with them at times. LOL. Glad you’re writing again.
I don’t have any knowledge of being a pilot. From what I know is pilot need to in charge of many things besides monitoring an airplane.
I really respect pilots for their professions. As for me when I was a science stream student in secondary school, physics is a very difficult subject for me. But pilots are very good in physics. I respect them. As mentioned above, they have a good memories, but they are “inclined to modify their environment rather than their own behavior”. Oh! If every pilots have the same personality, I guess that pilot will not be my future partner.
Pilot always gives me an impression of handsome and tall.. Haha.. I love pilots.. I imagine if my wedding held in the plane? Wao.. Romantic!!~
Being pilot are not an easy task. They must be perfect in every aspect, from mental till physical. Too bad my eye sight not suits to become a pilot.
Funny how pilot of the sea and air have so much in common.