Links
The Generation Gap
LinkedIn, June 29th 2021
There is a lot of talk about different generations at the moment, and how we interact at work. We have four (even five in some industries!) different generations at work right now, and the differences in our perception on how work should be done, is worth a mention. Do we make sure to align our expectations with our colleagues, or do we assume that everybody works the exact way we do ourselves?
Women in Aviation
About Human Factors
Why so few? – And why we need more.
“Wow – you’re a pilot?!? That’s not very common!”
“Is it difficult?”
“So, no family, then?”
“How is it working in a man’s world?”
The questions are many, the comments are plentiful. There are at the moment approximately 5% female pilots in commercial aviation, and that number has not increased by a lot over the past decades.
Is resilience the most valuable skill for a pilot?
Aerotime.aero, September 4th 2017
After the German Wings 9525 crash in 2015 in the French Alps, a survey of pilots mental health was conducted among nearly 2000 pilots in the US and Europe. The results were then published in the Environmental Health journal in December 2016. One of the findings showed that 12.6 % of the pilots were on the threshold of clinical depression. The survey cast light on a reality distorted by taboos and the preconceived notion of what pilots are supposed to be like. Pilots, of course, are no different from other people, and they do experience the same ups and downs as everybody else.
Back to the Flight Deck
About Human Factors
It has been a very tumultuous year for the aviation industry – we have seen plenty of bankruptcies, colleagues being laid off, countless aircraft long-term parked on runways, and endless plans for when and how to return to the skies.
Finally, we can spot the light at the end of the tunnel! Airlines are bringing back some of their furloughed pilots and cabin crew, we are able to spot more aircraft in the sky, and we even see new airlines pop up from the ashes of once-was companies.
This has made me wonder: Are we returning to the flight deck with a new-found love of flying, and will we maybe go the extra mile now, and bend the rules a bit more to get the job done, to make sure our beloved airline will survive this crisis?
Do personality differences in the cockpit impair performance?
Aerotime.aero, October 11th 2017
Why did the first officer on Air India IX-812 fail to take over the controls from the captain after asking for a go-around 3 times? While multiple factors led to the accident, the crew interaction and personalities definitely played their part as well. I will get back to this later.
Most of my days on the job are characterised by good crew interaction where synergy seems to flourish in the cockpit, but some days are just more of a struggle to get through.
Losing your Wings
About Human Factors
How do we cope in difficult times like these? Pilot in the COVID-19 era.
Being a pilot is not just a job. To many, it is a lifestyle, it is an identity. It becomes a way of defining ourselves, and even though pilots have a tendency to complain a bit, we love this job and cannot think of another job as being half as exciting, fulfilling, fun, and challenging.
Pilot in Africa
About Human Factors
Sitting in beautiful South Africa is making me think back. To the very beginning of my flying adventure, and to the many places I have visited on the continent. And to how abruptly a career can be ruined by a virus. Times are indeed tough for pilots, and I want to write this piece for the young aspiring pilots, who are just finishing their dream education and looking to start their first job. As an inspiration as to what a pilot’s license also can give you – or just as a story of how I chose to start off.
Why is mental health stigmatized in aviation?
Aerotime.aero, October 20th 2017
The stigma surrounding mental health issues among pilots seems to be a current topic in aviation, yet being open and honest is seen as a weakness, rather than a strength. Pilots especially are perceived as made of “the right stuff”. It sort of comes with the job, that you are capable of performing anytime, anywhere.
A few years back I attended my annual CRM recurrent training. At one point we were informed about the high numbers of cabin crew being sick due to stress. I asked: “How big a problem is stress among the pilots?” The instructor looked at me with surprise and replied: “We do not have any reports from the cockpit, you are the one who is supposed to take care of the cabin crew”. Nobody commented further on that subject.