Analysis of the main stressors in the flight school student collective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51302/rtss.2020.986Keywords:
stress, pilot, flight schools, aerospace psychologyAbstract
According to the literature, working as a pilot and stress go hand in hand, being one of the most stressful professions with. As a result of the Germanwings accident, that occurred on March 2015, EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) will require air operators to apply psychological support programs to flight crews as of August 2020. This research aims to assess the level of stress experienced by commercial pilot students that are learning to fly in a stressful environment similar to that experienced by commercial pilots in real life; and that has not been analyzed so far in the literature. The sample in this study is made up of 36 student pilots studying at an international pilot school, to whom the instrument for work stress detonators for pilots (IMDELP) in Aguirre (2015) was applied. The results found indicate that student pilots experience moderate levels of stress, mainly due to extra-organizational factors as well as work content and demands, which are all in line with the empirical studies reviewed. However, there are no statistically significant differences in stress levels based on the sex or the nationality of the student. In conclusion, the results obtained justify the figure of the psychologist in flight schools to treat students’ mental health problems, carry out a regular evaluation and develop educational programs and intervention options. These conclusions are limited due to the small sample size in general and of foreign students and female students in particular.
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