Aeronautical psychology: what is it and what does it do?

A summary of the characteristics and areas of work of aeronautical psychology.

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

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

Aeronautical psychology is in charge of evaluating and intervening in the mental health of aeronautical professionals, as well as assessing who is more mentally fit.It also assesses who is best suited to perform this type of job. Next we will discover its importance.

What is aeronautical psychology?

The aeronautical psychology is the branch of the psychology that is in charge of evaluate, diagnose, treat and select aviation professionals with the best skills and mental health to work with airplanes, either flying them or assisting the pilots.piloting or assisting the pilot. Aeronautical psychologists evaluate pilots, second-in-command, cabin crew and air traffic controllers. In Spain, this qualification 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 those who operate an aircraft are 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 civilian or military field, the profession of pilot, along with that of air traffic controller and cabin crew, must be exercised by people who are prepared and mentally stable.

The origins of aeronautical psychology date back to the Second World War, a time when it was necessary to select soldiers who could fly an airplane, in addition to presenting the psychological characteristics of a pilot.The origins of aeronautical psychology date back to World War II, when soldiers needed to be selected who could fly an airplane and who had the right psychological and emotional characteristics to avoid getting upset in the middle of battle. At that time, questionnaires were distributed to see what were the intellectual and personality capabilities of potential pilots, and thus ensure that they had a good aviation corps.

With the passage of time and the popularization of airplanes as civilian vehicles, psychologists working in the field of aviation have dedicated themselves to evaluating other important aspects of pilots' lives. These include the occasional feeling of stress they may have, organizational changes and influences in airlines, the fear of crashing the plane due to human error and the need to assess whether they are going through a bad time.

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

Evaluation of commanders and second pilots

The main objective of the aeronautical psychologist is to evaluate commanders and second pilots, even though are also concerned about the psychological characteristics and emotional stability of air traffic controllers and cabin crew.. However, since it is the pilot who directly operates the aircraft, it is necessary to ensure that he/she has the appropriate psychological capacity to fly the aircraft.

Piloting an aircraft is obviously a complicated task. Not only in terms of knowledge, but also psychologically, since whoever is handling the machine is aware that he has a great responsibility and that, if he makes a mistake, it can be fatal. To be a pilot you cannot have an unstable personality: You need to have cool personality traits, in the sense that in the event of an unforeseen event, the pilot does everything possible to avoid an accident..

Aeronautical psychologists are in charge of evaluating the candidates to be pilots, assessing if they have this coolness, as well as how responsible they are. Along with this, the psychological well-being of the pilot and other aeronautical professionals is evaluated to see if they suffer from any mental disorder that could compromise their safety and that of the passengers on a flight. Among the pathological aspects that the aeronautical psychologist evaluates we have:

• Anxiety levels
• Symptoms of severe depression
• Suicidal ideation
• Psychosomatic symptoms

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

The application of mood tests should be done on a frequent basis, as the emotional state of pilots can vary greatly from week to week.The emotional state of pilots can vary greatly from week to week. 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 that their emotional state is not too altered to be unable to fly the aircraft.

Clinical treatment for aviation personnel

As we have mentioned before, the responsibility especially of pilots and second-in-command is so great that any symptom indicating that they might have psychopathology cannot be overlooked. The psychological well-being of the pilot is not only an important personal aspect, but also a matter of public safety. is also a matter of public safety.. A pilot is, in essence, the driver of a vehicle which, as a rule, usually has a large number of passengers.

If a pilot is depressed and suicidal, there is a risk that, if left untreated, he or she could commit suicide in flight. There are already precedents for this: on March 24, 2015, the co-pilot of Germanwings flight 9525, Andreas Günter Lubitz deliberately crashed the aircraft in the French Alps, taking his life and the lives of 149 other people on the plane. The investigation concluded that he exhibited psychopathic traits, suicidal ideation and had refused sick leave.

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 psychological disorders or problems, intervention is necessary. 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 real depressive, psychotic and suicidal condition.as was the case of the Germanwings pilot.

Aeronautical crisis intervention

The aeronautical psychologist not only evaluates, diagnoses and treats aircrew. One of his main tasks is to intervene in aeronautical crises. We understand by this type of crisis air accidents, aircraft hijackings, mid-flight attacks and any situation in which a major air disaster has occurred..

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

Aeronautical psychologists, together with psychologists with expertise in emergency management, intervene directly with the survivors, intervene directly with the survivors and the personnel involved in the relief of the victims.. In addition, they are in charge of helping to manage the discomfort of the relatives and friends of those injured or killed in the accident, with the intention of avoiding at all costs that this experience can turn into a serious anxiety disorder, especially post-traumatic stress disorder.

Importance of the aeronautical psychologist

While 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 accidents and incidents are due to human error, not to a sudden failure or an attack on the aircraft.not because the aircraft suddenly failed or because there was an attack on the plane. It is, in most cases, the pilot who has committed irresponsibility or deliberately crashed the aircraft.

With this in mind, the task of the aeronautical psychologist, as a selector of those who are qualified to fly machines, is fundamental. Not just anyone can be allowed to operate an airplane, regardless of whether they have the necessary training or have passed the medical checkup. Operating an airplane is a highly stressful affair and which, in case the pilot already has problems on a personal level, 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. Retrieved from http://www.infocop.es/view_article.asp?id=5599
• Mora-Rodríguez, L. (n. d.) The paradox in the psychological recognition of air crews and controllers. Spain: hispaviación.es. Retrieved from http://www.hispaviacion.es/la-paradoja-en-el-reconocimiento-psicologico-de-tripulaciones-aereas-y-controladores/