1st Edition

Flight Stress Stress, Fatigue and Performance in Aviation

By Alan F. Stokes, Kirsten Kite Copyright 1994
    432 Pages
    by Routledge

    432 Pages
    by Routledge

    While stress and fatigue are often dealt with in other books on aviation performance and human factors, these realities of human vulnerability are now increasingly seen as central to the effective conduct of flight operations. Flight Stress provides a comprehensive treatment and a better understanding of stress and fatigue as they relate to aviation. It clarifies and distinguishes the concepts of stress and fatigue as they apply to flight, and expounds sufficient theory to provide a principled basis for the consideration and amelioration of stress effects in aviation. The authors examine what is known of the effects of stress from both laboratory and operational studies and detail the aspects of this knowledge to which aviation professionals should pay most attention. They go on to discuss the implications of stress and fatigue for performance in a range of aviation contexts, from air traffic control to aerial combat. Physiological, cognitive and medical sequel are explored. The book locates aviation related work, in its broader research context, critically reviewing and illustrating the work, with examples from accident and incident reports. It is substantive but accessible, since it both sets out the research base and provides plenty of 'real world' examples to leaven and illustrate the narrative. It thus provides an authoritative handbook for aviation professionals and a comprehensive source book and reference work for researchers. The readership includes aviation professionals and researchers, including medical personnel and registered Aviation Medical Examiners; psychologists and Human Factors specialists; training captains, senior pilots and engineers; air traffic controllers, dispatchers and operations staff.

    Contents: Concepts of stress; Stress and arousal; Pilot performance and stress; Decision making and communication; Life stress; Stress and pilot personality; Fear and stress extremes; Fatigue in flight operations; Transmeridian flight; Stress in air traffic control; Organizations, stress, and accidents; Automation and boredom.

    Biography

    Alan F. Stokes is Chairman of the Masters Degree Programme in Cognitive Systems Engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York, USA. Kirsten Kite is an Information Consultant and Technical Writer specializing in aviation.

    ’Another in the excellent library of aviation safety texts...with copious examples from accident and incident reports and numerous real life case quotations...this is essential reading for serious aviation professionals and dedicated researchers, medical personnel and registered aviation medical examiners, psychologists and human factors specialists, training captains, senior pilots and engineers, air traffic controllers, dispatches and operations staff.’ Occupational Safety and Health ’...the style and content of this book should be of interest to all dedicated pilots.’ Flight Safety Bulletin ’...each chapter is well laid out and contains an extensive bibliography. Equally useful are the detailed accident/incident reports that accompany each section...As well as the expected topics (such as fear of flying, stress and arousal and fatigue), the authors also cover areas usually neglected in traditional reviews of this topic, such as stress in air traffic control, organizations, stress and accidents and automation and boredom. I found these chapters particularly interesting...I would recommend the purchase of this volume for any practitioner working with pilots, or those doing performance related research. It is a useful source for teaching and the bibliographers are extensive.’ Canadian Society of Aerospace Medicine Journal (Canadian Aerospace Society Newsletter) ’This is one of those books which you begin by dipping into and then find impossible to put them down...this is a weighty tome which should be on the bookshelf of every practitioner of aviation medicine or human factors and should be accessible to all involved in aviation.’ Aerospace ’Here is an excellent reference and resource book about one of the more difficult areas in aerospace medicine...this book is a scholarly, well-written, thoroughly referenced, critical review of stress and the psychology of aviation...’ Aviation, Space and Environmental Med