Fitness and Preformance in Aviation Safety

Running head :Role of Physical fitness and Performance in Aviation safety Abstract

Aviation safety largely depends upon the Pilots , and Air Traffic Controllers ' physical , psychological fitness which decide their performance while on duty . Besides improved aircraft design and simulators applied in training enhance performance of the personnel concerned . Pilot have duty of care to the passengers and it is a legal requirement . Pilots and Air Traffic controllers have to be continually monitored and remedial actions must be taken promptly Introduction

Aviation safety implies physical fitness of the personnel involved

br besides the airworthiness of the aircraft . Working conditions in aviation career being life-threatening call for great mental alertness and physical and mental fitness . Aviation includes civil aviation and military aviation . Both are equally stressful . If it is military , having to work in remote areas with minimal medical help will be the norm . In both the cases , working hours can be erratic and extended shifts . The personnel are also easily exposed to contagious diseases . As such physical and mental alertness in aviation need not be over emphasized

Medical Standrads

The conditions that may be either impairments or diseases mentioned under each category are considered disqualifications for individuals working in an aviation environment (See appendix 1 ) The aviation personnel are expected to perform duties and provide services concerning aviation safety in relation to their vocation degree , qualifications license and rating . They are generally flight crew members responsible for aircraft operation during flights , technical personnel for aircraft maintenance , repair and modification , air traffic controllers , flight dispatchers responsible for flight conditions and flight preparations parachutists , cabin crew members other than flight crew , meteorological personnel , personnel responsible for preparation of charts , procedures to ensure optimal traffic flow and permitting over flights , regular flights and ground duty staff to handle aircraft , passengers , baggage cargo and mail

Most important of all are the pilots who have duty of care to the accompanying crew personnel , passengers , other airspace users and general public that is rather a legal requirement as well

Aircraft flying is a psychomotor skill acquired by application of theoretical knowledge during training . Individuals with specific aptitudes with constant practice of psychomotor skills can only maintain competence in the flying environment . Fitness arises out of harmonization of physiological , psychological and emotional aspects for a pilot . Flight safety is dependent on co-coordinated actions of all those involved like meteorological forecasting and flight planning personnel and regulatory authorities apart from the pilot without the inevitable conflicts between them . Hence it is imperative to understand the limitations on human performance and its influence on flight safety This calls for study of aviation physiology , aviation psychology and health maintenance (Campbell R .D , Bagshaw M . A competent pilot needs to have a well-developed psychomotor proficiency , a pre-requisite to acquire a good handling skills . The following concepts have emerged as human factors in flying training . They are attitude development , stress management , risk management , flight deck management , crew co-ordination and psychomotor skills with the objective of achieving zero human error .Aviation physiology

Aviation physiology is...