Re: Here's an Idea, or two
Donald A. Talleur (dtalleur_at_uiuc.edu)
Fri, 01 Aug 1997 08:20:37 -0500
At 03:55 PM 7/31/97 -0400, you wrote:
>
>Dear Greg
>
>Yesterday you suggested that:
>What if getting into > the airplane was a RELIEF
>from stress? Is > it possible, that an aviator who
>is dealing with > lots of stress, is more relaxed by
>being in a > "controlled" environment, such as a
>highly regulated > cockpit? Do we ever go to work,
>to relax?
>
Good point. I am much more relaxed when I set foot into an airplane. It has
to be a plane that I'm familiar with however. Relaxed doesn't equate
complacent however. As a matter of fact, I'm most competent in the cockpit
than doing anything else. The environment may require it to be that way. I
do feel a soothing effect when I fly. This is not unusal however. To fly to
any exacting performance one must shut out external stressors and
concentrate only on the task at hand. I'm the same way when I practice the
piano. I'm happy only when I do a good performance, and the only way I can
perform well is to block out everything else but playing the piano. When my
mind starts to wander or I'm worrying, I play horribly and subsequently get
no satisfaction out of it. Perhaps flying is the same. We acknowledge that
all other issues must become dormant in order to produce a good flight and
we are relieved by necessity of the stressors that mioght otherwise effect
our performance. What do you think?