Mental health challenges among pilots are not always visible, yet they can still influence overall well-being and flight performance. Psychological illness accounts for over 3% of all pilot incapacitations and is a recognized risk factor in aircraft accidents. Regulations require pilots to report any decline in their medical fitness to an Aero-Medical Examiner—a process that...

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an immense impact on civil aviation. Suddenly, pilots were forced to re-evaluate their job expectations and accept that nobody could no longer guarantee solid career progression. The devastating consequences of the pandemic have resulted in flight crews’ stress, depression or anxiety levels rising. What are the key stress factors imposed...

Dr. Ries Simons from the European Society of Aerospace Medicine said: “After extensive research and surveys, it has been proved beyond doubt that pilots are, in fact, only human.” Although pilots are often seen as “superhumans” who can cope with anything and remain calm and resilient to stressors, in reality, they can also suffer from...