M A R T I N Č I Ž M Á R I K, P H D. Department of psychology AVIATON MILITARY HOSPITAL, KOŠICE, SLOVAKIA The psychology and selection of pilots – uselessness or necessity?

The safety and efficiency as two of the most universal targets in each human activity have the particular relation to the activities of the man in air force The violation of the balance of the stated factors by the man generally leads to actual or potential safety risks which can have and sometimes also have catastrophic consequences

Problematics of human factor as part only of the medicine is mistaken opinion Because co-operation of medicine and psychology is necessary and needed The general knowledge is alarming: the man as the component part of the whole aviation system is otherwise the most flexible, the most self-adapting and the most valuable component, but also the most predisposed to faultiness

Three from four accidents caused by the loss of attention concentration Therefore – the need of quality human selection is crucial for the function in aviation system from the point of view of entry requirement for training and later for safe and effective operation

The discussion about the fact whether the selection should contain also the use of psychological methods is faint because exactly the psychic is the factor which by a fundamental way decides about the encompassment of any act made either in a plane or on a land

Regulations JAR-FCL 3.240:  A psychological evaluation may be required by the AMS where it is indicated as part of, or complementary to, a specialist psychiatric or neurological examination the question is:  Can a neurologist or psychiatrist find out during a short few minutes interview who has what type of a personable structure, what is his/her ability to work in stress conditions and whether he/her has any psychic defections?

in appendix 17:  psychological evaluation should be considered as part of, or complementary to, a specialist psychiatric or neurological examination when the Authority receives verifiable information from an identifiable source which evokes doubts concerning the mental fitness or personality of a particular individual the question is:  Is it not better to classify psychological part during the selection of flight crew and prevent to many incidents and problem situations?

ESARR 5:  psychological evaluation does not stand as full-value partner of other (medical) evaluations but psychological assessment may have a pivotal role in enabling the psychiatrist to make a holistic assessment But:  we are repeating that psychiatric evaluation consists only from the interview which we judge as very important but the absence of performance methodics, personal questionnaire and projective tests is unacceptable for us

Summary In praxis we practically daily meet sceptical opinions on the task of psychology within the scope of flight crew Bigger percent of incompetent applicants is right in consequence of insufficient results of psychological evaluation performance sphere:  inability to work in stress, a bad cooperation of head-arm- leg, insufficient senso-motoric coordination personal sphere:  tendency to risk and resort to firstly-planned decisions, social impedance, inability to realize the consequences of own activity

We emphasize that is not able to gain all these information else than with quality psychological selection and psycho- diagnostic interview

Conclusion We would like to remind that the massive majority of accidents in aviation is caused by human factor and not by physical inability or technical failure of a plane In the end we present a sentence which does not need any comment:  The aviation is not dangerous in its nature but has no excuse for inattention, inability or negligence

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