Aeronautical psychology: what it is and what it deals with

If we talk about aeronautical psychology, many may wonder what airplanes have to do with psychology. It is not the planes themselves that concern psychology, but those who fly them.

Flying an airplane or any other aircraft is not a task to be taken lightly. It requires skill, adequate knowledge and, in addition, having good mental health.

Aeronautical psychology is in charge of evaluating and intervening in the mental health of air professionals, in addition to assessing who is more apt to perform this type of job. Next we will discover its importance.

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What is aviation psychology?

Aeronautical psychology is the branch of psychology that deals with evaluate, diagnose, treat and select aviation professionals with the best skills and mental health to be able to work with aircraft, either piloting them or helping whoever pilots them. Aviation psychologists evaluate pilots, deputy commanders, cabin crew, and air traffic controllers. In Spain, this degree has been recognized since 2017, and psychologists can be accredited as experts in aeronautical psychology.

Piloting an airplane is a very risky job that requires a lot of responsibility. It is essential that whoever drives an aircraft be in full use of their mental faculties, in addition to demonstrating that they have the knowledge and physical aptitude to perform their job. Whether in the civil or military sphere, the profession of pilot, along with that of air traffic controller and that of cabin crew, must be exercised by people who are prepared and mentally stable.

The origins of aeronautical psychology date back to World War II, a time when it was necessary to select soldiers who could fly an airplane., in addition to presenting the ideal psychological and emotional characteristics to not get upset in the middle of battle. At that time, questionnaires were distributed to see what the intellectual and personality of the potential pilots, and thus make sure that you have a good body of aviation.

With the passage of time and the popularization of airplanes as civilian vehicles, psychologists who who work in the field of aviation have dedicated themselves to evaluating other important aspects of the lives of pilots. Among them are the occasional feeling of stress that they may present, organizational changes and influences in companies. airlines, the fear of being able to crash the plane due to human error and the need to evaluate if they are going through a bad moment.

Aeronautical psychologists are not only in charge of evaluating the well-being of the air professional, but also, They are also in charge of managing crisis situations, especially when there is an accident or plane incident.. Thus, the profession of an aeronautical psychologist, together with that of an emergency psychologist, can be very useful in situations such as a plane crash, hijacking, forced landing...

Evaluation of commanders and second pilots

The main objective of aviation psychologists is to evaluate commanders and second pilots, although they are also concerned about the psychological characteristics and emotional stability of air traffic controllers and cabin crew. However, since the person who directly manages the plane is the pilot, it is necessary to ensure that he has the adequate psychological capacity to fly the aircraft.

Flying an airplane is obviously a complicated task. Not only in terms of knowledge, but also psychologically, since whoever is driving the machine is aware that it has a great responsibility and that, in case of making a mistake, it can be fatal. To be a pilot you cannot have an unstable personality: It is necessary to have some cold personality traits, in the sense that in the event of an unforeseen event the pilot does everything possible so that it does not end in an accident.

Aeronautical psychologists are in charge of evaluating the candidates to be a pilot, evaluating if they have this coldness, in addition to seeing how responsible they are. Along with this, the psychological well-being of the pilot and other air professionals is evaluated, to see if he suffers from any mental disorder that could compromise his safety and that of the passengers in a flight. Among the pathological aspects that the aeronautical psychologist evaluates we have:

• anxiety levels
• symptom of severe depression
• suicidal ideation
• psychosomatic symptoms

The evaluation includes open questions, closed questions and questionnaires, which help the aeronautical psychological evaluation process. With the use of psychometric tests, all kinds of information can be collected to see if there is some type of problem or the person presents an unstable type of personality. It is very important that the psychologist is aware of whether the person evaluated is trying to give a good image or hide a problem.

The application of tests on the state of mind should be done frequently, since the emotional state of the pilots can vary a lot from one week to another. Given the great responsibility they have on their shoulders and what their profession entails, it is necessary to evaluate them at least every few weeks to make sure his emotional state isn't too upset that he can't fly the aircraft.

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Clinical treatment for aeronautical personnel

As we have mentioned before, the responsibility especially of the pilots and second commanders is so large that any symptoms that indicate they might have psychopathology. The psychological well-being of the pilot is not only an important aspect for his person, but also it is also a matter of public safety. A pilot is, essentially, the driver of a vehicle that, as a rule, usually has a large number of passengers.

If a pilot is depressed and also has suicidal ideation, there is a risk that, if not treated, he could commit suicide in mid-flight. There are already precedents for this: on March 24, 2015 the co-pilot of Germanwings flight 9525, Andreas Günter Lubitz crashed deliberately crashed the aircraft into the French Alps, taking his life and the lives of 149 other people on the plane. plane. The investigation concluded that he had psychopathic features, suicidal ideation and that he had refused to take leave from work.

This is why, in addition to the fact that the evaluation and selection of pilots cannot be done without the necessary work of the psychologist, in case of detecting possible disorders or psychological problems, it should be to intervene. Treatment is extremely necessary in pilots, no matter how slight their emotional problems may be. Any problem that is not properly addressed can crystallize and become chronic in such a way that the pilot ends up developing a truly depressive, psychotic and suicidal picture., as was the case with the Germanwings pilot.

Intervention in aeronautical crisis

The aviation psychologist not only evaluates, diagnoses and treats air personnel. One of its main tasks is to intervene in aeronautical crises. We understand by this type of crisis plane crashes, plane hijackings, mid-flight bombings and any situation in which a major air disaster has occurred.

Aircraft are heavily manned vehicles and difficult to save in the event of human error or any serious unforeseen event during the flight, with which in the event of an accident the consequences are usually fatal.

Aviation psychologists, together with expert psychologists in emergency management, They directly intervene in the survivors that there may be and the personnel involved in helping the victims. In addition, they are in charge of helping to manage the discomfort of the relatives and friends of the people injured or killed in the accident, with the intention to avoid at all costs that this experience can become a serious anxiety disorder, especially stress disorder post traumatic

Importance of the aviation psychologist

Although looking at the previous sections we can understand the importance of psychology in the field of aeronautics, it is necessary to mention a couple of things. About 80% of air incident accidents are due to human errors, not that the device has suddenly failed or that there has been an attack on the plane. It is, in most cases, the pilot who has committed irresponsibility or, deliberately, has crashed the plane.

Taking this into account, the task of the aeronautical psychologist, as a selector of those who are qualified to fly machines, is essential. No one can be allowed to fly an airplane, regardless of whether he has the necessary training or has passed a medical check-up. Flying an airplane is a highly stressful matter and that, in the event that the pilot already has problems in his personal sphere, it can have terrible consequences.

Bibliographic references:

• Infocop. (2015). The assessment of mental health in flight personnel - Interview with Adela González Marín, president of the AEPA. Spain: infocop.es. Taken from http://www.infocop.es/view_article.asp? id=5599
• Mora-Rodriguez, L. (s. f.) The paradox in the psychological recognition of air crews and controllers. Spain: hispaviación.es. Taken from http://www.hispaviacion.es/la-paradoja-en-el-reconocimiento-psicologico-de-tripulaciones-aereas-y-controladores/