Negative Ghost Rider, the Pattern is Full
When you say yes to others, make sure you are not saying no to yourself.
- Paulo Coelho
Early in training pilots visit an FAA medical examiner for a flight physical. If a pilot advances to become an airline pilot, throughout his career he will visit a medical examiner many times. Each visit presents a risk that he will be medically disqualified from flying, temporarily or permanently. A pilot can be medically disqualified for a myriad of reasons, and the process to get medically recertified can potentially be arduous and difficult.
Because circumstances and conditions change between visits to the doctor (life happens), pilots must develop the habit of assessing their own fitness to fly. One resource that pilots have is, of course, an acronym, IMSAFE – Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, and Emotion. (Aviation has developed an unhealthy, possibly co-dependent, relationship with acronyms, but I digress.)
Simply put, professionalism and personal responsibility requires that a pilot remove himself from flight duty if he deems himself unfit to fly. This can be necessary due to such things as a personal circumstance (divorce), a poor or uninformed decision (unknowingly consuming a disqualifying medication), or a physical limitation (injury or illness). Pilots must continuously assess themselves, as well as their crew. It is not a once and done thing. It is ongoing because fitness to fly can vary as conditions and circumstances change.
One of many examples I have is I flew with a newly hired co-pilot to supervise him as he gained experience in the airplane. The first day of the four-day trip was his first day flying the airplane after having completed simulator training. He was doing a terrific job and needed only minor input from me. At some point during the first day he mentioned he had recently visited his doctor for a medical concern. The doctor had done some tests and was awaiting the results. The student was slightly anxious about it but did not seem any more anxious than most people would have been, and it certainly did not affect his performance in the airplane.
Reaching the layover hotel, we parted ways until we were to meet in the lobby the next morning. A few hours later he sent me a text informing me his doctor had called about the test results. The doctor thought cancer was a possibility. With one phone call my student was no longer in a mental state (state of readiness, from an earlier post) to fly an airplane. I called my student and before I could say it, he told me he was going to call the airline and have himself removed from the trip, which was the responsible decision. The airline replaced my student and he traveled home as a passenger.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is bordering on being overused but it applies here. Basically, lower needs are primary and must be met before higher needs are considered. An event may cause someone to move down the list, which is what happened to my student. His physiological and safety needs were suddenly the priority so flying the airplane to finalize his qualification and advance his career (love and belonging, esteem, and possibly self-actualization needs) was less important.
Self-assessment is important in life because conditions and circumstances change. It can be hard to say, “I can’t”, or “I need help.” I know it is a struggle for me. I do not like accepting help, much less asking for it, but I have learned from the times that I wish I had and remember the benefits of the times that I have accepted help.
It is common for people to not be good at assessing their own mental state. Since pilots are people, but with a particularly safety-sensitive job, some flight operations automatically remove them from flight duty for specific lengths of time if certain life events occur. For example, for two months if they are getting divorced. Self-assessment, knowing your needs and if they are being met, and asking for help if you need it are part of knowing your limitations (and being an adult). Saying “I am okay, let’s press on” can be risky. You probably would not have wanted my student to have said that if you were going to be a passenger on his flight.
Saying “no” can be very liberating. Often ATC asks pilots questions such as “Are you able…?”, or “Can you accept…?” Before saying “yes” and accepting the new clearance the pilot must consider the implications because once accepted he is required to comply. It is possible to negotiate a new clearance but that takes time, which can be limited, such as accepting a change to a different landing runway within a few miles of the airport. Even with time, a request for a new clearance may be denied and, without a new clearance, the previous one remains valid. (In the interest of safety, pilots always have the authority to deviate from an ATC clearance, but an explanation will likely be required.)
Pilots quickly learn that “no” and “unable” are powerful and liberating words. ATC rarely asks why the pilot cannot accept it, which is good because I have no affinity for explaining myself. Some ATC requests are well outside what would be comfortable for the passengers but within crew and aircraft capabilities. Those clearances are often denied and should be in most cases. Just because you can do something does not mean you should. I have sometimes accepted clearances I wish I had not. I have also denied clearances and was glad I did. I cannot recall a single instance when I denied a clearance and wish I had accepted it.
Consider the following life examples:
Accepting additional work at your job. (Can something else be shed?)
Trying to see all your family, requiring multiple stops, over a few days visit to your home state. (Quality over quantity. Consider seeing some of them on a follow-up visit. Internet technology is a big help here.)
Saying “yes” to every friend that has a need, especially if it involves moving a piano or a hide-a-bed couch.
Accepting an invitation to an event you are not interested in, especially if it sacrifices time from something you value more, like family, or does not align with your beliefs.
I think most people have exceeded their limitations at least once in their life by overestimating what they could handle. I have, several times, and at times put unnecessary, and in some cases even unmanageable, stress on my marriage, finances, family, or my health. On a related note, how many people do you think, in the history of the world, have been laying on their deathbed and said, “I wish I had worked harder?” I am betting on ZERO.
Finally, “I do not have time” is cowardly way of avoiding saying “no”. We all have 24 hours in a day. (A limitation all humans share.) It is about priorities. It is healthy and good to say “no” sometimes. You may have to explain it, or maybe not. If so, be honest and nice about it, especially to your friends and family. They are your crew, and you are going to need them.