It's the mentality of a pilot who chooses operate overweight in to a possibly unsuitable landing site (especially overweight!) while low on fuel and in weather conditions below minima that leads to airlines using psychometric testing.
Those sorts of flight conditions aren't mentally stimulating. They are just high risk & scary. It's not the same. With experience most pilots recognise and choose to avoid putting themselves in risky situations. Doesn't stop their flying from being mentally stimulating. The challenging part is how to get the flight done safely & legally while *avoiding* the risk.
Last edited by Tinstaafl; 6th Feb 2010 at 20:12.