Flight psychology

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The aviation psychology , better the Aerospace Psychology is an independent field of work and organizational psychology . It deals with the work and life of people who are entrusted with the operation of aircraft and spacecraft or who spend a long time in them (e.g. for the duration of record flights, long-term astronauts).

The above People are exposed to particular stresses, such as permanent alternating shift work (long-haul crews), monotony (long-haul crews), vibrations (helicopters), increased accelerations (pilots of high-performance aircraft), electromagnetic fields, cosmic radiation, optical and vestibular illusions, spatial confinement, etc. The fundamentally life-threatening In the event of an emergency, environmental conditions during cruise or in space lead to patterns of action that the flight psychologist examines in more detail, as do changes in behavior due to psychological stress and regular absences and daily rhythm shifts.

The specialist field must keep pace with technical developments, for example in the design of human-machine interfaces in innovative on-board systems. As part of the preventive care, the flight psychology department provides assistance for the crews concerned, or helps if necessary (peer support groups with care by psychologists after severe disorders and accidents). Flight psychologists support airlines with the implementation of "Fatigue Risk Management Systems". The flight psychologist plays an important role in the selection of crews ("pilot selection"). Flight psychologists are particularly challenged for complex mission profiles (military use) and for systems with high information density, especially when crews are exposed to increased time pressure.

Fields of activity

The focus of flight psychology is:

  • Aptitude test , selection
  • Flight psychological assessments (for EASA Pt FCL 3)
  • Basic psycho-physiological research
  • Follow-up care for crews after accidents and serious incidents (post- traumatic stress disorder , critical incident stress management (CISM))
  • Accompaniment of crews in other significant events (e.g. loss of a close relative)
  • Introduction of the subject area ("human factors") in the development of aerospace systems, in particular in the design of the human-machine interface ( user interface )
  • Training of pilots and aeronautical engineers as part of the "Human Performance Limitations" training (in accordance with EASA-FCL 1)
  • CRM training for pilots (according to EASA-OPS)
  • Support with seminars to overcome fear of flying.

Flight psychology thus makes a significant contribution to flight safety .

Professional associations

Institutes and training opportunities

credentials

  • EC regulation 1178/2011 "Air Crew Regulation", part "MED"
  • AMC 1 MED.B.060 "Psychology"
  • "Legal framework and fields of activity for aviation psychologists in Austria", published in "Psychologie in Österreich", issue 3–4, 2008
  • "Development and Status of Aviation Psychology in Austria 2008", published in "Psychology in Austria", Issue 3–4, 2008

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Prieler, JA (2009). Performance tests in personnel selection at JetAlliance and at National Rail. Lecture at the 2nd Hogrefe-Congress about Pilot and Train-Driver Recruiting, Frankfurt, Germany.
  2. ↑ Prieler, JA, Langer, C. & Mikas, M. (2001). A modern Aviation Test Battery for the Selection of Pilots and ATC staff. Lecture at the 11th International Symposium on Aviation Psychology, Columbus, Ohio (USA).
  3. ↑ Prieler, JA, Mikas, M. & Langer, C. (2000). 'State of the Art' of a modern procedure for Psychological Selection. "Lecture at the 24th Conference of the European Association for Aviation Psychology (EAAP), Crieff (Scotland).
  4. ↑ Prieler, JA (1999). Flight psychological test battery Austria. "Mödling: Schuhfried Eigenverlag.