The Background, Rationale, and Aims
The modern aviation industry is filled with risks, which became especially noticeable after the COVID-19 pandemic when many flights were canceled, many of them suddenly. Pilots have increased responsibility for the lives of the crew and passengers and are required to improve their skills constantly (Salas et al., 2017). Their everyday work is filled with stress and the need to be attentive (Cahill et al., 2021). Such professionals need support to make it easier for them to cope with fatigue; otherwise, staff turnover is inevitable. The modern aviation industry cannot provide ambitious pilots with algorithms for taking care of their physical and mental health; therefore, they quickly face demotivation, disappointment, and different health problems.
The study set out to identify predictors of burnout and fatigue among pilots. It was essential for the study’s author to find out what specific phenomena pilots go through when they are exhausted by stress. The collected information made it possible to realize the whole picture of fatigue and burnout in aviation, which was composed precisely of the words of the pilots, and not from the observations of outside researchers.
The Method of Collecting Data
To achieve a global goal, initially with pilots, the author of the study organized semi-structured interviews through the Zoom application. Despite the small sample size, the material obtained during the interviews made it possible to compose a vivid and logical story of the pilots’ encounters with burnout and fatigue. After conducting interviews and compiling notes, the undertaking of the goal required analytics and the study of literature on the topic.
The study was based on a qualitative design, as a sample could identify a trend in fatigue through careful interviews with open-ended questions and tape recording. This design allowed pilots to feel at ease in describing their unique experiences. They could fantasize, share fears and assumptions, and talk not only about their own experience but about the experience of others. The author compiled a transcript for each pilot and, on its foundation, completed a summary. The summaries summarized the keywords the pilots emphasized, explaining their feelings associated with burnout and sluggishness. The summary contained psychological and medical terms through which the pilots described the encounter with fatigue. Based on transcripts and summaries, deep analytics was carried out, combined with the study of literature on ergonomics, psychology, and medicine.
Key Findings
Pilots easily define fatigue as long-term stress, weakness, and demotivation. It is since burnout and fatigue permeate both the psychological and physiological aspects; pilots report cognitive overload, which makes them feel unprofessional. In addition, many are emotionally exhausted, affecting their families and friends (Wingelaar-Jagt et al., 2021). Fatigue touches on such an essential issue as sleep; however, in describing it, pilots emphasize different ways, either making sleep a point of perception of fatigue or raising it to the foundation of it. However, tired pilots experience serious sleep problems such as lack of sleep, early waking up with nervousness, and insomnia (Lee & Kim, 2018). The problem with sleep is affected not only by stress from standards and requirements but by the constant change of time zones without rest.
Pilots perceive fatigue differently, as different people’s bodies have unique strengths and weaknesses. In many cases, the pilots answered that they were experiencing pain throughout the body. They noted pain in the eyes and migraines, and due to sedentary work, many develop back pain. Body pains prevent pilots from concentrating and cause them to experience even more severe stress associated with disappointment in their abilities (Park et al., 2020). Such pains create a vicious circle of stress, from which you can get out only by acting on the cause and not stopping discomfort from time to time. Along with pain, pilots, feeling tired, make mistakes during work. It creates enormous risks for the crew and passengers; therefore, pilots in such situations must notify their colleagues of fatigue to decide on support or replacement (Tran et al., 2020). Less commonly, pilots indicated in this part of the interview slow reactions and increased irritability from stress.
Pilots’ mitigation offerings can vary, although trends stand out among them. Controlled rest is the type of mitigation that many pilots trust. This method allows them to save more energy and relax without looking up from work (Dursun, 2021). At the same time, the crew’s teamwork and a high level of confidence between specialists are essential here. Pilots emphasize the importance of sleep hygiene, but most understand this strategy only in theory. Sleep hygiene allows pilots to stay focused and make fewer mistakes while on the job (Venus, 2021). Many pilots mentioned caffeine mitigation, taking hormones, and specific medicine that support vigor. Unfortunately, this effect lasts for a short time, but the harm from caffeine can manifest itself in insomnia and chest pains. Pilots called writing fatigue reports a logical way of mitigation.
Organizational Recommendations
Crew members must be kept in constant contact during work and feel free to report feeling unwell or suspected fatigue. Conflict management in this situation is necessary, as it will avoid tension among colleagues who should help each other without mutual accusations (Bendak & Rashid, 2020). Doctors within the company, during medical examinations, should pay attention not only to physical indicators but to psychological ones. It is necessary to cut caffeine intake for pilots, as it affects their cardiovascular systems.
Limitations and Conclusions
The small sample size is considered the first significant limitation, albeit due to ease of interviewing and COVID-19 precautions. Pilots may have felt stressed, apathetic, and depressed due to COVID-19, which negatively impacted their speaking in interviews and made them extremely biased (Hilditch & Flynn-Evans, 2022). Most pilots have been unable to distinguish between fatigue and depression due to COVID-19. The researcher experienced difficulties as the pilots did not have enough communication during the test. In general, the pilots entered the interview without proper preparation and did not have time to think over the answers. Their responses, even if they follow a common logic, often reflect different accents. The last limitation is the inability to factor in organizational mindfulness.
In conclusion, it is essential to say that all pilots face fatigue and solve this problem mostly on their own. They do not act on the cause of fatigue but try to fix it to avoid disasters or stop the symptoms. Such examples of mitigation are fatigue reports, which are helpful but do not physically and psychologically protect the pilots but are aimed at the safety of the crew and passengers. Another such example is the intake of caffeine, which in the end, can only worsen the mental state of pilots. The lack of algorithmic assistance and the not utterly transparent system for eliminating fatigue factors is currently a significant drawback of the field, which is why young and ambitious pilots are forced to quit.
References
Bendak, S., & Rashid, H. (2020). Fatigue in aviation: A systematic review of the literature. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 76, 1-10. Web.
Cahill, J., Cullen, P., Anwer, S., Wilson, S., & Gaynor, K. (2021). Pilot work related stress, effects on wellbeing and mental health, and coping methods. The International Journal of Aerospace Psychology, 31(2), 87–109. Web.
Dursun, D. E. (2021). Effect of work stress and burnout perceptions of aviation sector employees on organizational commitment. Journal of Contemporary Issues in Business and Government, 27(03). Web.
Hilditch, C. J., & Flynn-Evans, E. E. (2022). Fatigue, schedules, sleep, and sleepiness in U.S. commercial pilots during COVID-19. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, 93(5), 433–441. Web.
Lee, S., & Kim, J. (2018). Factors contributing to the risk of airline pilot fatigue. Journal of Air Transport Management, 67, 197-207. Web.
Park, C. L., Russell, B. S., Fendrich, M., Finkelstein-Fox, L., Hutchison, M., & Becker, J. (2020). Americans’ COVID-19 stress, coping, and adherence to CDC guidelines. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(8), 2296–2303. Web.
Salas, E., Martin, L., & Flin, R. (2017). Decision-making under stress: Emerging themes and applications. Routledge.
Tran, Y., Craig, A., Craig, R., Chai, R., & Nguyen, H. (2020). The influence of mental fatigue on brain activity: Evidence from a systematic review with meta‐analyses. Psychophysiology, 57(5). Web.
Venus, M. (2021). How duty rosters and stress relate to sleep problems and fatigue of international pilots. International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace, 8(3).
Wingelaar-Jagt, Y., Wingelaar, T., Riedel, W., & Ramaekers, J. (2021). Fatigue in aviation: safety risks, preventive strategies and pharmacological interventions. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, 1-13. Web.