Does stuttering can always be a problem on your career as a pilot?

[art737]

I absolutely love flying and would not to want settle for anything else, I'm busy with my com license now and just a little concerned about my speech disorder, I have a slight but not severe stutter. It can go unnoticable but on some words i have a blockage/repetition and it breaks my sentence, sounding quite bad.
Do you guys think I would be descriminated against when job hunting etc? Are their any pilots who stutter flying the heavies?

[Tortoise]

Discuss this with your AME (if you haven't already). The bottom line will be whether you can communicate clearly at all times including during emergency situations etc. If there's any doubt a more formal practical assessment might be asked for to identify any potential problems.

[TommyOv]

I'd be interested to know the reasons (if any, although I'm assuming there are) why rules for this differ between PPL and CPL.

Art737, if you're training for your CPL then I'm assuming you already have a PPL...have you found your stammer to be an issue whilst flying up to now?

[mfa2000]

I do to a certain extent stuttering but i think almost people can't notice it and it is not serious with me.
I am 21 years old and i hope i can work as a pilot and to join a pilot school , but i am worry to take this decission because of what i said .

[Shunter]

I don't see why not. I know a pilot that works for a major carrier who has a slight stutter and it certainly hasn't affected him.

[Mr. Hat]

i saw on tv some methods to cure it...sure you've done a search or two..

[norton2005]

I have a slight stutter and hasen't affected me so far. in everyday life every now and again it shows itself but rarely, it seems to have mostly gone away as i've grown up over the years. and the funnier thing is, when I get in the cockpit and start talking, to ATC or anyone else, it goes completely. I've yet to stutter in the cockpit. Don't know why though. In fact from the start of my radio talking life all my instructors comment on how professional I sound lol.

[Albert Driver]

I can think of one pilot with a stutter that made his career.


His stories had the greatest p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-punch lines!

[gingernut]

A tad cruel Albert ?

[Albert Driver]

Au Contraire, Ginger.

Like norton2005's experience, his stutter was only really evident off the aeroplane - and he used it mercilessly, telling shaggy dog stories to great effect.

[Wingletnut]

I have a colleague who is a stutterer who also never stutter's when speaking to ATC, weird or what?

[hugh flung_dung]

art737:

I'm an SEPL/MEPL FI and Examiner with a CPL/IR; like you I have a stammer which results in blocks and silences when using the radio. It's highly variable and I can be fluent for months and then dis-fluent for months. Although it's not usually a practical problem in 1:1 conversation, instructing, or conference presentations the r/t disturbance is bl**dy annoying and can make it tricky to squeeze a call into a tight gap. (Although the one emergency I've had was dealt with fluently - brains are strange things!)

I can only recall two negative comments in the 25+ years that I've had an R/T licence. One was from UK ATC when I was working on my IR, and once in France I was called to the tower to check my licence because "en France a Pilote is not allood to 'af a stutter" - vive la difference :)

Where does this get you? A stammer won't stop you doing the job but in the real world you will be competing at interview with fluent people - so you need something special to offer in order to offset the dis-fluency.

HFD

[Loose rivets]

Have you tried the arm movement technique? I recall years ago there being some success at removing blocks by thumping one's thigh in time with the syllables or some such. Difficult when flying, but it shows that there is a chance the technique could be modified.

I have heard before that the fright of an emergency will remove the problem for a time.

You may think I'm kidding, but I'm not. Try thinking of your wing being on fire or some other extreme emergency, and see if it improves your speech. Once you know there are tools to get a handle on the problem, many of the issues just might go away.

[hugh flung_dung]

LR: interesting thoughts!
Reminds me of a briefly entertaining experience in a Partenavia many years ago, airways at night; I got a speech block and my left leg tensed. Unfortunately the master switches in a Partenavia are on the left side wall, next to the left knee and unguarded - yup, that's right. All the electrics suddenly went off. Afterwards I was so busy laughing at my stupidity that the rest of the trip was fluent :O

HFD

[Loose rivets]

I often think of our last king when discussing this subject. It's sad to think that he may have been helped by modern techniques. He would have had to lighten up though, none of that stiff old seriousness.

[Bearcat]

I heard a guy once witha dose of the stutters onto atc London. Poor fella, it was bad and embarrasing. It clogged the frequency.

I know it is insensitive but if one has the stutters aviation is not a wise carrer move IMO.

[Mr. Hat]

Art, if it is your dream then do what you have to do - hypnotherapy doctors or whatever. Try your best and if it doesn't work at least you know you tried and you didn't give up.

Let people that tell you it can't be done be the fuel for your fire my friend.

[mfa2000]

guys it hurts when you go throw something you like and then you find after that , it doesn't like you, or i mean it doesn't suit you. it takes much money and time from any one to reach to this job. that's why I discussed this topic in this forum in order if any one of you have any information about this , it will be helpful to answer my question

[Artie Fufkin]

My CPL examiner had both a stutter and tourettes! It did not appear to have held him back.

Interestingly, it came on worse when he was stressed. Which I would have thought should have been an issue, but evidently not.