Master aviation resilience!!!

On this episode we will explore an essential skill that every aviation professional must develop: “RESILIENCE”. Operational pressure and constant exposure to external factors like weather, regulations, and technology shape the aviation industry. A resilient pilot, technician, or cabin crew member is not someone who never makes mistakes; they are someone who learns, adapts, and keeps safety at the forefront, even in high-pressure scenarios. In aviation, resilience is what turns experience into sustainable operational safety.

"What is resilience?

Resilience is the capacity to overcome negative or difficult situations that shake you emotionally and emerge stronger from them. Resilience is like a vase that breaks and becomes more resistant with each fall. Being resilient makes you unstoppable. It is the most important skill you must master if you want to achieve great goals. If you are sensitive in some situations today, it doesn't matter; resilience is trained just like you train your muscles. You achieve it by developing your productive capacity. There are habits that will allow you to forge a resilient personality, since pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Why is it important to be resilient for an aviation professional?

Resilience is essential for aviation professionals. Emotional affect can paralyze you, preventing you from moving forward and creating a vicious cycle of negative thoughts about the situation.

Resilience in aviation is not an "extra"; it is a necessity. Aviation is characterized by operational pressure and continuous exposure to external factors such as threats, punctuality, personal problems, unexpected events, organizational culture, difficult passengers, weather, stress, uncertainty, emergencies, and even the negativity or pessimism of colleagues. You must possess resilience and make crucial decisions quickly. Being resilient means being able to adapt, recover, and maintain safe performance under adverse conditions.

As humans, we must accept that we can't control what happens, but we can control our reactions.

"How can the aviation professionals train resilience and be emotionally strong?”

To become more resilient, you need to learn how to take control of yourself and your emotions. You must know that your mind is separate from and superior to your body. Your body can be hurt, but your mind can still decide what it means and how to react.

So, first, you must determine what we can and can't control. The Stoics call this the "dichotomy of control." Is it up to me? Or is it not up to me? If it's up to me, in one word, whatever we do, it gets my attention, my energy, and my focus. If it's not up to me, I won't think about it or put energy or emotions into it. But the truth is that we spend a lot of time on things we can't change. Separating things narrows down what we can focus on. Even though we couldn't control external factors, we could always choose how we reacted to them.

For instance, consider this situation: if you are a pilot conducting your simulator check and become distracted for any reason, you might make a mistake. If you are cabin crew and briefing with your team, a difficult attitude from your team leader may cause your mind to go blank during the safety questions, leading you to provide incorrect answers. You will experience a frozen mental state because it is not the events that upset us, but rather our judgments and opinions about them. 

The idea behind it is that we control what we think and say. We decide because everything else is objective and outside of us. This belief is especially true when it comes to our feelings. If anything makes you frustrated, know that you are to blame for becoming involved. If we have time, we shouldn't respond right away; we should take a moment to think about it. We need to take charge of our emotions again since no one else is responsible for how we feel. This process is what we call emotional intelligence. Another person, situation, or action cannot offend you, hurt your feelings, or frustrate you; you are empowered to control your emotions in response to those factors.

The second step in building resilience is to focus on enhancing self-confidence. It involves having confidence in your knowledge and skills to navigate any challenges that arise during the flight. Additionally, it means recognizing your strengths and abilities.

The third step involves developing productive capacity.

As aviation professionals, how may we enhance our confidence?

The only way to enhance our confidence is to become competent. In aviation, this means you need to have the knowledge, skills, and attitude to perform a task. Knowledge is the information required to perform a specific task; skill is the ability to effectively apply that information, and attitude reflects how an individual demonstrates behavior based on their values while applying the necessary expertise for that task.

What does it truly mean to be competent?

A person demonstrates competence when he can effectively manage three key processes: first, learning to handle knowledge, specifically the information required to complete a task; second, managing his expertise to utilize that information efficiently during task completion; and third, maintaining a positive attitude while applying the necessary information to perform the task.

Knowledge and skills add up, while attitude has a multiplier effect. Knowledge is the factor that demands more effort, as skill and attitude are innate to human nature. The higher the levels of skill and attitude, the less effort is required to gain knowledge.

How can we enhance our knowledge, skill, and attitude?

Knowledge and skill do not develop from sudden, drastic changes. They will develop through a few simple disciplines practiced consistently. You must establish daily habits and take control of both your time and your mind. Plan your day in advance, ensuring you allocate time to review your manuals, aviation books, and lectures. Many people wake up in the morning and immediately check their phones, scrolling through various distractions, instead of dedicating a bit of time to increase their knowledge and skills. A plan gives your day structure; it gives your time purpose and, most importantly, gives you control. With a plan, you decide what matters; you decide what gets done. The key focus should be on increasing your competency, as this will boost your confidence and directly enhance your resilience.

Your attitude requires reflection on your values, as they will influence your behavior and choices. These values will foster critical thinking, which will shape your attitude towards the world and help you develop habits that influence your behavior. Your behavior reflects your personal values. The essential values for developing competency include discipline, order, motivation, perseverance, companionship, study, teamwork, honesty, effort, integrity, and respect.

Always keep in mind that there is always room for improvement; the most significant personal and professional growth comes from dealing with difficulties.

What does developing productive capacity mean?

As we discussed before, resilience is the ability to overcome adversity and emerge fortified from it. According to Jaime Ferrer in his book "The Competencies of the Aviation Pilot," enhancing resilience requires the development of productive capacity. This process includes the following steps:

1- Prevents, minimizes, or overcomes the negative effects of a situation. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Avoid surprises by planning and analyzing the possible scenarios that may arise. If your decision or action doesn't meet your expectations, compare it to the outcome of doing nothing.

2 - Demonstrates endurance in the face of adversity. Remain strong regardless of the circumstances. Recognize that perception influences our reactions when we encounter challenges on our journey toward our goals. Always be ready for the next step. Seek assistance when needed. Reflect on your previous experiences with adversity. Continue to take action; do not give up.

3 - Continuously adapt to new developments and challenges; the world is always changing, which compels us to expand our comfort zones and embrace new challenges. Do not limit yourself to simply enhancing your current skills. Take a moment to reflect on yourself from a different perspective; your ability to recognize and believe that you can improve further is ultimately in your hands. Focus on what we can control. When anxiety and fear influence our behavior, the most effective way to regain control is to utilize our emotional intelligence to distinguish our emotions from our reactions.

4 - Be flexible. This trait refers to the ability to quickly and calmly adapt to short-term changes, facilitating the effective management of unexpected problems or tasks. Focus on your core values: discipline, loyalty, empathy, vocation, respect, and tolerance. Take the time to understand the perspectives of your fellow team members and make an effort to learn the tasks that you might typically avoid.

5 - Be positive. Obstacles are merely disguised opportunities. When you encounter obstacles, instead of thinking, "Oh, poor me, what am I going to do?" you should ask yourself, "Where is the lesson in this? What am I going to learn? How can I grow from this experience?" While cultivating optimism is important, it is essential to exercise caution because there are two distinct types of optimism: unconscious optimism and realistic optimism. Unconscious optimism can be risky, as those who embody it often fail to recognize the consequences of their lack of preparation. In contrast, realistic optimism involves an awareness of one's limitations. Individuals in this group envision all possible outcomes and assess them against their capabilities. As a result, they consistently operate within their safety margins and prepare for potential challenges. Positivity is contagious and enhances safety by spreading a positive mindset throughout the team.

6 - Evaluates the specific situation to make informed decisions and think objectively. To make informed decisions, it is essential to obtain accurate and reliable data. Relying on others' opinions can often lead to unreliable information. Therefore, the information provided by others should be objective and grounded in concrete facts. Understand the risks; "risk" refers to the possibility of experiencing physical, moral, or economic harm—the chance that something negative could occur. Recognizing the risks associated with our decisions will enable us to make more informed choices. It is important to consider both the short-term and long-term consequences.

7 - Engage in an internal, honest, and realistic conversation to analyze the actions taken. This approach involves practicing reflection in the action, applying knowledge in action, and reflecting on the action itself. Practicing reflection in action means that once we decide to perform an action, we need to visualize it to ensure we are adequately prepared. This preparation involves confirming that we possess the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to successfully carry out the action. Practicing knowledge in action means that while we are engaged in a task, we must utilize all our knowledge, skills, and attitudes to execute it effectively. Practicing reflection on the action involves mentally comparing what we initially visualized before executing it with what actually occurred afterward. This process allows us to identify what we did well, recognize areas for improvement, and address any mistakes we made. We will focus on understanding the reasons behind our successes or failures.

8- Show confidence in yourself and others; lead by example to create a sense of safety within your team. Always do what is right, regardless of others' opinions. Have the courage to step out of your comfort zone and embrace new challenges. Identify your weaknesses and find ways to overcome them. Accept praise for completing difficult tasks. Recognize that both strengths and weaknesses are integral parts of who we are as individuals. This will boost your self-confidence and foster positive feelings. Always identify your fears; you already know them. Consider which of these fears are rational and which are irrational. If you doubt your skills to overcome them, remember that you were hired for a reason: to ensure safe operations. Create a plan to address your weaknesses. It is up to you to overcome them. Learn to recognize your strengths and weaknesses; recognizing them is as important as accepting feedback and constructive criticism from others. Evaluate your internal dialogue; negative thoughts and criticism can lead to self-doubt. Pay attention to how you speak to yourself.

9 - Manage your own stress. The first step in reducing stress is to identify your triggers. Some tensions are unavoidable and may even be necessary; therefore, it is essential to adjust your reactions to them. Avoid taking things personally; distinguish your emotions from their causes. Before leaving home, try to set aside your problems and emotions.

10 - Avoid stressing others, as stress is contagious. We naturally imitate the emotions reflected in the faces and expressions of those around us. Avoid spreading your stress, and resist allowing others to affect you. By using your emotional intelligence, you can distinguish the person from the situation, maintaining a separation between others' emotions and your own; this is essential.

Listen to the Podcast!

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Reference Books

1. Meditations - Marcus Aurelius

2. Epictetus Thoughts

3. The Competencies of the Aviation Pilot - Jaime Ferrer