Physical/Psychological Factors

T-34C CONTACT

CHAPTER ONE

110.

PHYSICAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS

To help you understand something of the physical and psychological factors affecting your

training, the remainder of this chapter will be devoted to paraphrasing our flight surgeon's

thoughts on the matter.

Physical ease and relaxation while flying makes the difference between the pilot flying the

plane and the plane flying the pilot. A proper sense of "feel" of the aircraft is essential. Just as a

good horseman must be sensitive to the movements of his mount, so must the aviator be sensitive

to the movements of the airplane. This innate sense cannot be achieved in any other way than by

the proper relaxation of all the body muscles and light touch on the aircraft's controls. The art of

being relaxed in an airplane involves an awareness of what your body and mind are doing. A

natural reaction to the strange environment or unusual situation is the age-old aviator tendency to

"pucker" in a tight situation. Be alert for involuntary tensing of the muscles and you will find

you quickly develop that sought-after "feel" and avoid the hard-to-break habit of mechanical

flying. An important aspect of developing this sense of "feel" is knowing what you are going to

do at all times and be prepared for the next evolution in your flight training. This is nothing

more than knowing your PROCEDURES. Remember the panic in your school days when you

were handed a test and it suddenly dawned on you that you had not studied, or what you had

studied was not on the test?

2. Mental attitude is a very essential element to your relaxation in an aircraft. It affects your

nervous system and, if allowed to continue in an unhealthy trend, can result in actual physical

incapacitation. Therefore, its significance should be fully appreciated. As with physical

handicaps, any mental distraction will also detract from the full use of your required senses. A

poor mental attitude will interfere with your ability to concentrate, learn, and apply your

knowledge. In turn, a good or positive mental attitude will increase your learning capacity and

will make your flight training a pleasure rather than an unpleasant job.

If for any reason you find yourself "flying more, and enjoying it less," whether from some

known cause or not, discuss it with your flight instructor or unit leader. Another aid to acquiring

a positive mental attitude, after you have satisfied yourself that it is not an outside problem

affecting you mentally, is to find some healthy diversion that will get your mind away from the

subject of flying for a time. The base as well as the local area offers much in the way of

recreational opportunities and diversions.

Mental alertness on the pilot's part has a direct bearing upon safety of flight as well as

contributing significantly to the learning process. Remember that the training areas utilized are

not very large and are used by many aircraft. Being constantly on the alert while flying may

save your life and that of one of your squadron mates. Mental laziness is the constant enemy of

every aviator. So, as you progress through flight training, plan ahead and try to anticipate all

possible contingencies that could affect the operation of your aircraft. Proper planning not only

refers to the environment around you but also the aircraft in which you are sitting. Check your

engine instruments from time to time to ensure that all is well up front. In other words, train

yourself to be alert to all facets of your flight rather than concentrating on the problem of the

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