Is it normal to have poor situational awareness after a long break?

[meatlover]

Feeling horrible after I did my sim check.

Did my TR 6 months ago, and by the time my skills test was due, I was way on top of the game and everything seemed easy.

After that I only did 14 flights as PNF, and not a single PF sector.
Did my sim check yesterday to remain current, and though it was easier than my initial skills test, it felt as though the work load was extremely high, I couldn't focus on many things at the same time, had to be prompted a bit, made a bunch of silly mistakes.
Feeling very low. Is it normal to be rusty and lose situational awareness with a long break?

Thanks in advance guys.

[CAT3C AUTOLAND]

Hello mate,

I dont quite understand how you have had only had 14 PNF sectors and not one PF sector in 6 months? Have you just done a TR and not got a job, but been in the SIM?

If this is the case, its like anything in life, the more you do it the better you get at it, and if you are not current you cant help but be rusty.

One thing you must realise is the skill of flying jets is something that takes a number of years. The TR is just the tip of the iceberg. Meeting the requirements of an LPC is a small portion of what airline flying is all about.

Dont beat yourself up about being rusty. I have been in the sim with guys who have very little experience, and its a steep learning curve and you can see the brain caving in, however, that is normal.

I wouldnt worry too much about it.

[meatlover]

CAT3C,

Thank you for the response man.
Actually the TR was done by the airline, who shifted priorities when they started hiring Dirent Entries. Training backlog is almost over, and my training should resume very soon.
That's why there was barely any line training during the last 6 months.
It is my first job btw.

[Artie Fufkin]

meatlover,

even with 6 months constant flying, most newbie's first recurrent sim is usually a bit dodgy. Add in the perishability of flight skills and your enforced training break, I'd say you've done well just to get through the thing in one piece.

Chin up, you already know from basic flight training that its an emotional roller coaster!

[Northbeach]

You have a specialized set of skills that need to be exercised or they atrophy, what you are describing is likely normal. Professional athletes practice virtually every day of the week during the season; you use skills or you loose skills.

I was out for 7 weeks due to a fairly serious recreational sports injury and was appalled at my performance after returning to the line. By the end of the second 3 or 4 day trip I was back up to speed. Even instructors, who sit giving simulator training day in and day out, feel rusty when they return to the line after being away for weeks; just ask them.

If I am off for more than 4 days I can tell the difference; I’m still safe but I can feel the difference. Usually it manifests itself as a slight tunnel vision, not being able multitask as effectively and the impression of being behind the jet. Generally it clears up after a leg or two.

[sevenstrokeroll]

If I am off for a week, the next time I fly, I feel it.

If I am off for two weeks, my copilot feels it.

IF I am off for three weeks my passengers feel it.

so, fly more often...and even practice flying at home...as a mental exercise.

[funkydreadlocks]

Good rest and nutrition is also very important, from a physiological point of view. I agree practice makes perfect (and legal) but these guys already said that all, so here goes:

Recent evidence shows that having a high mean creatine protein level increases mental endurance when the body is put under stress. To have a higher mean creatine level it's important to have a high meat based protein intake. I suggest poultry as red meat can be extremely unhealthy in large amounts. If you're a vegetarian then you can use protein powder supplements, but be aware that they can make you gain weight, especially if you don't exercise much.

Self-talk or mentally rehearsing actions before doing them has also been shown to steepen an individual's learning curb and sometimes even improve performance. Imagining an action activates the same areas in the brain as performing that action.

Finally, did you know that a high peripheral fat content in a person has been shown to correlate with fatigue? This is only a correlation though so it is still just a hypothesis.

hope this helps everyone! :)

sources : Effects of creatine on mental fatigue and cerebral hemoglobin
oxygenation, Neuroscience Research 42 (2002) 279/285, Watanabe et al.

http://jtoomim.org/brain-training/watanabe2001-creatine-reduces-mentalfatigue.pdf


The effects of the reciprocal and the self-check styles on pupils’ performance in primary physical education, European Physical Education Review 2011, 17(??), 35 - 50, Athanasios Kolovelonis et al.