The Pilot Personality

[ZachH]

Pilots are a distinct segment of the general population. In addition to flying skills, pilots are selected for their personalities and for a distinct "pilot persona." These characteristics make them safer pilots.

Pilots tend to be physically and mentally healthy. Pilots tend to be "reality based," because by the very nature of their work they are constantly testing reality. There are those, however who would dispute this claim.

Pilots tend to be self-sufficient and may have difficulty functioning in team situations without CRM and other training. They have difficulty trusting anyone to do the job as well as they can. Pilots tend to be suspicious, even a little paranoid. In moderation, this quality serves them well within their environment and is, in fact, a quality that managements look for in the pilot personality. Outside the cockpit, this quality shows up in the tendency of many pilots to set two or three alarm clocks-- even though he or she may generally wake up before any of the pilots go off. The suspicious/paranoid tendency also affects the way pilots function in their private lives, as well.

Pilots tend to be intelligent but are typically not intellectually oriented. They like "toys"-- boats, cars, motorcycles, big watches, etc. They are good at taking things apart, if not putting them back together. Pilots are
concrete, practical, linear thinkers rather than abstract, philosophical, or
theoretical. On a scale that ranges from analytically oriented to emotionally oriented, pilots tend to be toward the analytical end. They are extremely reality- and goal-oriented. They like lists showing concrete problems, not talking about them. This goal orientation tends towards the short term as opposed to the long term. Pilots are bimodal: on/off, black/white, good/bad, safe/unsafe, regulations/non-regulations.

Pilots are inclined to modify their environment rather than their own
behavior. Pilots need excitement; a 9-to-5 job would drive most pilots to
distraction. Pilots are competitive, being driven by a need to achieve, and
don't handle failure particularly well. Pilots have a low tolerance for
personal imperfection, and long memories of perceived injustices.

Pilots tend to be scanners, drawing conclusions rapidly about situational
facts. Pilots scan people as if they were instruments; they draw conclusions at a glance rather than relying on long and emotion-laden conversations.

Pilots avoid introspection and have difficulty revealing, expressing, or even recognizing their feelings. When they do experience unwanted feelings, they tend to mask them, sometimes with humor or even anger. Being
unemotional helps pilots deal with crises, but can make them insensitive
toward the feelings of others. The spouses and children of pilots frequently complain that the pilot has difficulty expressing complex human emotions
toward them.

This emotional "block" can create difficulty communicating. How many
incidents or accidents have occurred due to poor communications? The vast majority of Professional Standards cases will be caused by poor
communication.

[MikeOH58]

[ZachH]

Originally Posted by MikeOH58

????????????


That was a E-mail somebody sent me a while back.

[granlistillo]

Your profile sounds like Ted kazinsky, the Unibomber.

[Milesar]

This article was featured on the main page at another aviation website a few months back (APC), it was courtesy ALPA.

[SeanD]

Originally Posted by granlistillo

Your profile sounds like Ted kazinsky, the Unibomber.

I was thinking the same thing. Where are the positive contributions of the pilot personality.

[ZachH]

Who know where the positives are at ? Milesar Thanks i did not know where it came from..

[DeltaAVL]

Originally Posted by ZachH

Pilots tend to be physically and mentally healthy.

I eat one meal a day. Healthy? Probably not, but I feel fine!

Originally Posted by ZachH

Pilots tend to be suspicious, even a little paranoid... The suspicious/paranoid tendency also affects the way pilots function in their private lives, as well.

True...

Originally Posted by ZachH

Pilots are concrete, practical, linear thinkers rather than abstract, philosophical, or theoretical.

Really? Not me, I'm the one the girls always came to for dating advice.

Originally Posted by ZachH

On a scale that ranges from analytically oriented to emotionally oriented, pilots tend to be toward the analytical end.

Not me. Oh, not me.

Originally Posted by ZachH

Pilots are inclined to modify their environment rather than their own behavior. Pilots need excitement; a 9-to-5 job would drive most pilots to distraction. Pilots are competitive, being driven by a need to achieve, and don't handle failure particularly well. Pilots have a low tolerance for personal imperfection, and long memories of perceived injustices.

True dat.

Originally Posted by ZachH

Pilots scan people as if they were instruments; they draw conclusions at a glance rather than relying on long and emotion-laden conversations.

Really?


I guess I'm the odd pilot out...

[srleslie]

This is totally bunk if you ask me. While it may be true that a good degree of pilots resmeble these characteristics, it is impossible to stereotype a group of people this large. I saw this when I was a truck driver. They'd say "you don't look like a truck driver" and so forth. Well the truth is it is impossible to steretype a group of 3 million people. There are truckers from all sorts of backgrounds, and the same holds true for pilots. The one thing that holds true for all pilots is their love of aviation. This is not something you wind up in by accident. Although I'm not a pilot yet, I will be very soon.

Originally Posted by ZachH

Pilots tend to be self-sufficient and may have difficulty functioning in team situations without CRM and other training. They have difficulty trusting anyone to do the job as well as they can. Pilots tend to be suspicious, even a little paranoid. In moderation, this quality serves them well within their environment and is, in fact, a quality that managements look for in the pilot personality. Outside the cockpit, this quality shows up in the tendency of many pilots to set two or three alarm clocks-- even though he or she may generally wake up before any of the pilots go off. The suspicious/paranoid tendency also affects the way pilots function in their private lives, as well..

I am not suspicious or paranoid. As a biology major, I am a person of science. I have one alarm clock. I communicate very well with others and don't have trouble trusting others on the job until they've demonstrated they don't give it their best effort. I see that all the time at the grocery store where I work.

Originally Posted by ZachH

Pilots tend to be intelligent but are typically not intellectually oriented. They like "toys"-- boats, cars, motorcycles, big watches, etc. They are good at taking things apart, if not putting them back together. Pilots are
concrete, practical, linear thinkers rather than abstract, philosophical, or
theoretical. On a scale that ranges from analytically oriented to emotionally oriented, pilots tend to be toward the analytical end. They are extremely reality- and goal-oriented. They like lists showing concrete problems, not talking about them. This goal orientation tends towards the short term as opposed to the long term. Pilots are bimodal: on/off, black/white, good/bad, safe/unsafe, regulations/non-regulations...

I do like big toys and I like adventure, but I also am intelectually oriented and I enjoy thinking about and contemplating theoretical and philosophical things. This probably has to do with my training in biology and chemistry. This training DOES give me a keen analytical ability that most pilots probably share. I set short goals and long goals. It's the short goals that get you to the long ones. I am certainly not bimodal. Life cannot be viewd from a black and white lense. It is far too complex for such simplistic thinking and in many things there are many shades of gray.

Originally Posted by ZachH

Pilots are inclined to modify their environment rather than their own
behavior. Pilots need excitement; a 9-to-5 job would drive most pilots to
distraction. Pilots are competitive, being driven by a need to achieve, and
don't handle failure particularly well. Pilots have a low tolerance for
personal imperfection, and long memories of perceived injustices

Pilots tend to be scanners, drawing conclusions rapidly about situational
facts. Pilots scan people as if they were instruments; they draw conclusions at a glance rather than relying on long and emotion-laden conversations.

This is me 100 percent.

Originally Posted by ZachH

Pilots avoid introspection and have difficulty revealing, expressing, or even recognizing their feelings. When they do experience unwanted feelings, they tend to mask them, sometimes with humor or even anger. Being
unemotional helps pilots deal with crises, but can make them insensitive
toward the feelings of others. The spouses and children of pilots frequently complain that the pilot has difficulty expressing complex human emotions
toward them.

I am very in touch with my feelings and don't have any trouble recognizing, expressing, or rocginizing my feelings. I'm a very introspective person. It's not wise to mask or ignore your feelings. And yes I'm a heterosexual male. So if all of the above is the steretype of a pilot, I certainly don't fit it. I would wager that there are many others who don't fit it either.

[ElyJs]

Hah was hanging out at the airport the other day.

Motorcycles and Scuba seem to common denominators, anyone have any others?

-Jason

[nonstop]

Describes me almost to a T. Although every one is going to be different, at least for me with the exception of a couple of characteristics, it does describe my personality.

[falconvalley]

I've flown with alot of pilots over the last 13 years and I can't even come close to being able to describe them all that way.

[Chris_Ford]

Don't forget selfish and whiny!!!

[tonyw]

Any time you try to say a group of what, 250K people have a bunch of specific personality traits, you're bound to come up short.

I personally think I'm a lot more well rounded than the description. Maybe this is only for people who get paid to fly so I don't count, but still.

[killbilly]

Flying is a set of skills - an activity. It does not define you as a person. Your personality and actions do. If you have quirks or traits that lend themselves well to flying, so be it.

As for common denominators, I find motorcycles, golf, and musicianship to be fairly common. All of which demand concentration and a certain level of meticulousness.

Interestingly enough, they are all pursuits that, like sex, you do not have to be particularly excellent at to enjoy.

[JDMcFly]

Originally Posted by ElyJs

Hah was hanging out at the airport the other day.

Motorcycles and Scuba seem to common denominators, anyone have any others?

-Jason

Hockey.

[jynxyjoe]

I'm not paranoid, but someone is coming after me. I don't know who or why yet, but I'll be ready for them. Whoever they are.

[MikeOH58]

Originally Posted by killbilly

As for common denominators, I find motorcycles, golf, and musicianship to be fairly common. All of which demand concentration and a certain level of meticulousness.

Interestingly enough, they are all pursuits that, like sex, you do not have to be particularly excellent at to enjoy.

Oddly enough, the above mentioned; motorcycles, golf, music, and sex are all activity's that to some degree can be done solo haha!

[Fly4Pay]

Originally Posted by srleslie

This is totally bunk if you ask me. While it may be true that a good degree of pilots resmeble these characteristics, it is impossible to stereotype a group of people this large. So if all of the above is the steretype of a pilot, I certainly don't fit it. I would wager that there are many others who don't fit it either.

Originally Posted by DeltaAVL

I guess I'm the odd pilot out...

Originally Posted by tonyw

Any time you try to say a group of what, 250K people have a bunch of specific personality traits, you're bound to come up short.

ORIGINAL POST:

Originally Posted by ZachH

Pilots tend to be physically and mentally healthy. Pilots tend to be "reality based," because by the very nature of their work they are constantly testing reality.

Pilots tend to be self-sufficient and may have difficulty functioning in team situations without CRM and other training.


Pilots tend to be suspicious, even a little paranoid.

Pilots tend to be intelligent but are typically not intellectually oriented.
Pilots are inclined to modify their environment rather than their own
behavior.

OK, guys.... in any group, unless it's COMPLETELY heterogeneous or COMPLETELY homogeneous, there will be a majority tendency or two. It doesn't mean that EVERYONE fits that mold, or that anyone who DOESN'T somehow doesn't fit. It merely means that that describes the characteristics most common to that group. The original post primarily consisted of tendencies. There were a few items listed as "cut and dried," but for the most part it was tendencies.

Lighten up if you don't fit.

And don't think you're God's gift to aviation if you do fit.