Do pilots need mental training? | Sara Isaković | TEDxLjubljana
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0:04 - 0:08How many of you
have taken a flight recently? -
0:08 - 0:10Or are maybe planning to take one?
-
0:10 - 0:13Maybe with a show of hands?
-
0:13 - 0:16Yeah, I was expecting a lot of you.
-
0:17 - 0:21When you're flying, do you ever think
about the people sitting in the front? -
0:22 - 0:25Not the first-class passengers,
I know you think about those. -
0:26 - 0:28I mean the pilots.
-
0:30 - 0:33Does it ever cross your mind,
whether or not -
0:33 - 0:36your pilots are mentally prepared
-
0:36 - 0:39to handle any challenge
that comes their way? -
0:40 - 0:42Maybe like this pilot.
-
0:45 - 0:48I live and breathe aviation every day.
-
0:48 - 0:52My dad is a pilot
and an examiner on Boeing 777. -
0:52 - 0:55My twin brother is a pilot.
-
0:55 - 1:00All my uncles are pilots
and so are my grandparents. -
1:00 - 1:02My grandmother too.
-
1:03 - 1:07My mom, she was a beautiful
stewardess, so you can guess the story. -
1:07 - 1:11My parents met up in the air,
and then I was born. -
1:11 - 1:14With aviation in my genes.
-
1:15 - 1:20And I can tell you this -
pilots are under a lot of stress. -
1:21 - 1:25They have to endure this high-risk,
unpredictable environment at work -
1:25 - 1:27every single day.
-
1:28 - 1:33Constantly surrounded with challenges -
one of them being time pressure. -
1:33 - 1:36Having to take off on time,
and land on time... -
1:37 - 1:40Bad weather conditions
cause chaos and delays. -
1:41 - 1:44There might be low visibility
or a busy airspace -
1:44 - 1:47and a pilot is unable to land,
-
1:47 - 1:52potentially running out of fuel
after a sixteen-hour flight. -
1:53 - 1:59How about jet lag? We all know
how tough that one is. -
1:59 - 2:02It takes us days to recover.
-
2:03 - 2:06Pilots sometimes get only 48 hours.
-
2:06 - 2:10They need to find a way
of how to get in enough sleep -
2:10 - 2:14and rest and to prepare
for their next flight. -
2:14 - 2:18These are commonly occuring
challenges that undoubtedly cause -
2:18 - 2:21high mental and physical stress.
-
2:23 - 2:27The amount of responsibility
pilots have is enormous. -
2:28 - 2:33Picture yourself going to work and being
responsible for a few hundred lives. -
2:34 - 2:38Making sure they arrive
to their destination safely. -
2:39 - 2:42Not only that, if you cause
physical harm to the aircraft, -
2:42 - 2:45you become subject to investigation.
-
2:47 - 2:49You might be responsible
for a few hundred million dollars -
2:49 - 2:52of financial damage
to the airline company. -
2:54 - 3:00It's definitely not easy being a pilot.
There is no room for mistakes. -
3:02 - 3:08On top of all of that, pilots
like all of us have to handle -
3:08 - 3:11the everyday stress and challenges
that we all go through. -
3:11 - 3:16Marriage problems, naughty kids,
teenage kids, old parents, -
3:16 - 3:21bills to pay, financial problems,
health problems. -
3:22 - 3:23Right?
-
3:23 - 3:27They need to know how
to manage stress -
3:27 - 3:31and be mentally sharp
at all time during their duty. -
3:32 - 3:34But are they really?
-
3:37 - 3:42It appears that 80% of air crashes
happen due to human error. -
3:43 - 3:50This means that when something unexpected
and startling happens within a cockpit -
3:50 - 3:55pilots are unable to execute
their skills and knowledge -
3:55 - 3:58because of high psychological stress.
-
3:59 - 4:01And we've all been there,
we've been in situations -
4:01 - 4:04where you have to perform under pressure.
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4:04 - 4:06And what happens?
-
4:08 - 4:11Sometimes you freeze or choke, right,
-
4:11 - 4:16your mind blocks, you can't think,
you can't remember, -
4:16 - 4:18you might not know where you are.
-
4:19 - 4:24Imagine the same thing happening
to pilots 11,000 meters in the air. -
4:24 - 4:27Or during take-off or landing.
-
4:29 - 4:33These men and women
don't have time to choke or freeze. -
4:33 - 4:38Their minds need to be fully functioning
for optimal decision making, planning, -
4:38 - 4:41anticipating, problem solving.
-
4:41 - 4:43The list goes on.
-
4:44 - 4:50But what could happen
if a pilot's mind does block? -
4:51 - 4:54A clear example of stress leading
to poor performance -
4:54 - 4:58is a story of two pilots
who were about to take off, -
4:59 - 5:01without turning on one of the engines.
-
5:03 - 5:04Why?
-
5:05 - 5:08Not only were they
under immense time pressure, -
5:09 - 5:12the captain was going through a divorce,
-
5:12 - 5:16the first officer's brother
nearly died that morning. -
5:16 - 5:22Luckily, take off was rejected, they
stayed on land and had time to recover. -
5:23 - 5:28But a less fortunate example
happened in Taiwan not that long ago. -
5:28 - 5:33When the plane took off,
pilots were faced with an engine failure, -
5:33 - 5:39very well rehearsed procedure, pilots know
they have to switch off the failed engine -
5:39 - 5:41and land with the one they have left.
-
5:42 - 5:45To a clear mind this seems
completely obvious, -
5:46 - 5:52but because the event was so
startling and shocking to the pilots, -
5:52 - 5:56it completely impaired their
judgement and clouded their minds. -
5:57 - 5:59And you know what happened?
-
6:00 - 6:05In that state of panic,
they switched off the wrong engine. -
6:06 - 6:10The only working engine
that was keeping them up in the air. -
6:12 - 6:15And the plane crashed seconds after.
-
6:15 - 6:18These are just two examples,
I could definitely go on, -
6:18 - 6:23but I feel like I scared you
a little, so I'd rather not. -
6:25 - 6:28We all talk about faster,
more fuel efficient airplanes, -
6:28 - 6:31technological advances.
-
6:31 - 6:36Look how far we've come since
1903, from the first flight to this day. -
6:37 - 6:41But nobody ever mentions
the well-being of pilots, -
6:41 - 6:46and their mental readiness
to stay resilient in the time of stress. -
6:48 - 6:50But I do.
-
6:50 - 6:54Not only because I come
from a family of aviators, -
6:54 - 6:57I won an silver olympic medal,
-
6:58 - 7:02I graduated from Berkley
with a degree in psychology -
7:02 - 7:06and I'm now finishing my master's
in performance psychology. -
7:06 - 7:10And I really understand what it takes
to perform under pressure. -
7:11 - 7:14It is that mental readiness.
-
7:14 - 7:19And I kept wondering why don't pilots
have any type of mental training -
7:19 - 7:23that would allow them to have those skils
-
7:23 - 7:26and cope with stress
once it comes their way? -
7:27 - 7:34So I have a solution.
I put together a program called avioPREP. -
7:34 - 7:38"Avio" stands for aviation,
and "prep" stands for preparation. -
7:39 - 7:44Or as the acronym tells us,
its a pilot resilience enhancing program. -
7:44 - 7:46So what is it exactly?
-
7:47 - 7:52It's a four-week mental training course
specifically designed for airline pilots, -
7:52 - 7:55that really educates and prepares them
-
7:55 - 7:59on how to manage stress
in their high hrisk environment. -
7:59 - 8:01So what does it include?
-
8:01 - 8:05It's composed of mindfullness training
and performance psychology, -
8:05 - 8:07and I'll break these down for you.
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8:07 - 8:13Mindfullnes training
is the training of awareness. -
8:15 - 8:18For you really to learn how to pay
attention to your thoughts, -
8:18 - 8:23your breathing, your body,
your surrounding environment. -
8:23 - 8:26The most recent research in neurosciene,
-
8:26 - 8:30a lab that I was actually fortunate
to work in San Diego, -
8:30 - 8:34suggests that the more aware you are,
-
8:34 - 8:37the more resilient you are to stress.
-
8:38 - 8:40So let me give you an example.
-
8:40 - 8:46You're a pilot, getting ready
for a simulator exam, what happens? -
8:47 - 8:54Doubts, negative thoughts,
anxiety, fear, they all rush in. -
8:55 - 9:00Nothing unusual prior
to performance. We all get scared. -
9:00 - 9:02Now, if you are aware,
-
9:02 - 9:07if you pay attention to your negative
thoughts and that racing heartbeat, -
9:07 - 9:11you're more likely to recognize
the situation and say, -
9:12 - 9:17"It's OK, I'm nervous.
It's normal. But I'll be fine." -
9:17 - 9:23As soon as you do that,
it tones down the stress level, -
9:23 - 9:27you have that mental clarity,
you stay focused and calm. -
9:27 - 9:33But if you're not aware,
your brain can't tell the difference -
9:33 - 9:35why this might be happening.
-
9:35 - 9:40Are you having a panicky mind
because a lion is attacking you? -
9:40 - 9:42Or because you're
in a simulator exam? -
9:42 - 9:45There's really no difference.
-
9:46 - 9:51And most likely, your brain thinks:
"A lion is attacking me, I have to run." -
9:51 - 9:54In that case your mind blocks,
-
9:54 - 9:59and within a performance environment,
you choke and underperform. -
10:00 - 10:06The whole idea of training mindfullness
is really for you to take control -
10:06 - 10:11over the stress response,
instead of stress taking control of you. -
10:11 - 10:14And mindfullness training has been
widely implemented -
10:14 - 10:18in various performance contexts
and extensively researched. -
10:18 - 10:22One of them being in the US military.
-
10:22 - 10:25Navy seals and marines practice
mindfullness prior to deployment, -
10:25 - 10:30so they have those mental skils
of how to overcome the stressors -
10:30 - 10:33and challenges
in their high-risk environment. -
10:34 - 10:37Combat pilots, professional athletes,
they all train mindfulness. -
10:37 - 10:41That awareness of how to stay
in the moment calm and focused -
10:41 - 10:43to perform optimally.
-
10:44 - 10:48The other part of the program includes
aspects of performance psychology, -
10:48 - 10:52which will teach pilots
those additional mental skils -
10:52 - 10:55and tools of how to overcome
performance stress. -
10:56 - 11:01And here I'm specifically talking
about simulator exams. -
11:02 - 11:08Did you know pilots have to prove
their capabilities every 6 months? -
11:09 - 11:13Every six months they have to prove
they're worthy of flying -
11:13 - 11:15and maintaining their licence.
-
11:16 - 11:22Picture yourself having
an exam at work every half a year, -
11:22 - 11:25and your job depending on it.
-
11:26 - 11:29All the way to retierment.
-
11:31 - 11:33Very stressful.
-
11:35 - 11:39So a combination of mindfulness training
and performance psychology -
11:39 - 11:42will equip pilots with a mental toolbox
-
11:42 - 11:46so that they can use it whenever
the challenges come their way. -
11:47 - 11:53Now, a mental training system
or program as such -
11:53 - 11:56does not yet exist in aviation.
-
11:57 - 12:00When pilots are struggling
with performance, -
12:00 - 12:05all that is avaliable is that they're sent
to additional simulator training, -
12:05 - 12:10to practice their technical skills
over and over and over again. -
12:12 - 12:15But as a three time Olympian
and a lifelong athlete, -
12:15 - 12:17I know this isn't enough.
-
12:18 - 12:24I can practice all day long and break
world records in training sessions. -
12:25 - 12:31But when it comes to my time
to perform and race under pressure, -
12:32 - 12:35what plays a decisive factor?
-
12:35 - 12:38It's my mental game
-
12:38 - 12:42that's going to eventually decide
whether or not I'll make it happen. -
12:42 - 12:46And the beauty of it all is
that the more you train your brain, -
12:46 - 12:48the more it rewires itself in a way
-
12:48 - 12:53so that when you experience stressors
and challenges in the future, -
12:53 - 12:57it kind of automatically triggers
a more resilient response to stress. -
12:57 - 13:00And that's what I want for pilots.
-
13:00 - 13:04I want pilots to train their brains
that when something unexpected happens -
13:04 - 13:10within their performance context,
they'll be ready to react. -
13:12 - 13:14But, like with physical fitness,
-
13:14 - 13:18we have to invest time
and energy into mental fitness. -
13:20 - 13:22So, how will pilots get this training?
-
13:23 - 13:27The program will initially
start off as a consulting office, -
13:27 - 13:29and then expand to an online platform,
-
13:29 - 13:33where every single pilot
will gain access to the program. -
13:35 - 13:39Believe it or not, in the next 20 years,
-
13:39 - 13:44only Boeing Aircraft will need
half a million new pilots, -
13:45 - 13:50meaning that 2,000 pilots
will be in training every single month. -
13:52 - 13:57Not to mention how many other pilots will
be needed to fly other types of aircrafts. -
13:58 - 14:04And I can assure you this:
every single pilot will know how to fly. -
14:04 - 14:08They'll have the best type
of technical training. -
14:09 - 14:13But my question is this:
how are we making sure that these pilots -
14:13 - 14:18are also mentally prepared to handle
the stressors that come about -
14:18 - 14:24in their life long careers,
especially the future generation pilots, -
14:24 - 14:27which will be even more so
automation dependant? -
14:29 - 14:32Nobody has thought of that yet.
-
14:32 - 14:35But it's on my mind all the time.
-
14:35 - 14:39Because I know from my personal experience
that the only way to ensure -
14:39 - 14:45optimal performance is to train both
mental skills and technical skills. -
14:46 - 14:50This program should
be implemented into pilots training, -
14:50 - 14:55as early as possible along
with the technical skill training -
14:55 - 14:57so they have those tools ahead of time.
-
14:58 - 15:00My vision is this:
-
15:02 - 15:06avioPREP, in opinion,
-
15:07 - 15:10I would love it to become
a regulatory requirement, -
15:10 - 15:12meaning that every single pilot
-
15:12 - 15:16will have to go through the program
in order to get a his or her licence. -
15:17 - 15:19Why?
-
15:19 - 15:23Because when looking
at the bigger picture, -
15:23 - 15:28the purpose of the program
is to contribute to airline safety. -
15:29 - 15:33By training pilots
to be more mentally resilient, -
15:33 - 15:36we're minimizing the human error,
-
15:36 - 15:39the 80% that I was
talking about earlier on, -
15:39 - 15:43and the potential
of such accidents happening. -
15:45 - 15:52But aviation safety
is not just some abstract idea to me. -
15:52 - 15:55It means so much more than that.
-
15:55 - 15:59It means that my brother and my dad
are going to come home every day. -
16:02 - 16:05So, put yourself back on that flight,
-
16:05 - 16:08that you just took or maybe
you are about to take: -
16:08 - 16:13how would you feel knowing
that your pilots are mentally prepared -
16:13 - 16:17to handle any challenge that comes their way?
-
16:20 - 16:22Pretty safe, right?
-
16:23 - 16:25(Slovenian) Thank you.
-
16:25 - 16:26(Applause)
- Title:
- Do pilots need mental training? | Sara Isaković | TEDxLjubljana
- Description:
-
How important is mental preparation for pilots and what kind of training and special requirements should they pass in order to eliminate any risks as much as possible? What procedures and elements of security check before and during the flight cold prevent accidents to happen? What kind of pressure and risks are pilots exposed - how to react to those?
Her biggest success in swimming was 2. place in 200 m free at the Olympics in Beijing in 2008, in the same year also 1. place in 200 m free at the European Championship in Eindhoven and 2. place in relay 4 x 200 m free at the EC in Debrecen in 2012. She received the Award of Stanko Bloudek in 2010 and was pronounced slovenian Sportswoman of the year 2008. In 2013 she finished undergraduate study of psychology at the Berkeley University.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 16:35
Leonardo Silva commented on English subtitles for Do pilots need mental training? | Sara Isaković | TEDxLjubljana | ||
Leonardo Silva edited English subtitles for Do pilots need mental training? | Sara Isaković | TEDxLjubljana | ||
Riaki Ponist commented on English subtitles for Do pilots need mental training? | Sara Isaković | TEDxLjubljana | ||
Leonardo Silva approved English subtitles for Do pilots need mental training? | Sara Isaković | TEDxLjubljana | ||
Leonardo Silva edited English subtitles for Do pilots need mental training? | Sara Isaković | TEDxLjubljana | ||
Mile Živković accepted English subtitles for Do pilots need mental training? | Sara Isaković | TEDxLjubljana | ||
Mile Živković edited English subtitles for Do pilots need mental training? | Sara Isaković | TEDxLjubljana | ||
Nika Kotnik edited English subtitles for Do pilots need mental training? | Sara Isaković | TEDxLjubljana |
Riaki Ponist
Program name:
Avioprep -> avioPREP
https://aero-monde.com/en/mindfullness-en/
Leonardo Silva
Thanks, Riaki. I have updated the transcript.