Regarding my earlier post regarding German DLR Pilot Selection Psychological Battery
DLR - Institute of Aerospace Medicine - Personnel Selection being a complete waste of time and money, though Lufthansa endorses this preselection assessment, as do many Flight Operations, in the past ten years . . .
The DLR psychological assessment fails to recognise pilots are human beings. A cup of coffee before going to the assessment could easily account for a candidate doing well . . . or someone who is a bundle of nerves, failing to get a good night's sleep or deadheading to an interview last minute, rushing to get there, due to other work commitments being amongst those whom fail the DLR.
The DLR Psych Eval can be practiced and trained for. In fact DLR offers a "coaching" service to pilots subjected to this assessment, which defeats the purpose.
Please consider, during World War II, there were Kamikaze (shinpū tokubetsu kōgeki tai) pilots threatened with execution and dishonour, whom refused to commit suicide for the Emperor. The difference between a healthy, rational mind and one that is otherwise.
Perhaps a way for large flight operations, such as airlines, to mitigate threats from in-flight Pilot Incapacitation or committing suicide due to some hidden or undetected mental affliction would be to have Aviation Medical Examiners and Aviation Psychologists (whom are also pilots), do a brief examination of the Flight Crew, in dispatch or prior to the crew entering the flight deck, in the situations where flight plans and documents are delivered to the aircraft.
It is possible to do such an examinations in 30 minutes. Instead of showing up one hour prior to departure, crew could show up one hour and thirty minutes prior to departure . . . a minor inconvenience. I operated for an airline in China, that had this procedure . . . Not every day, but frequently. Of course, the taxi ride to the airport would get one's heart rate up, but . . . You surely can see the benefit of this preflight medical/psychological check-up. Surely, it won't be 100% perfect, but will certainly mitigate.
Let's talk Crew Resource Management . . . The Darth Vader personalities, the pilots in the Left Seat whom believe they are God's because they were (emphasis on
were) Top Gun or Red Flag graduates or whom believe CRM diminishes their absolute authority or whom treat everyone as a lesser human beings, because they were anointed as Captain or those whom believe they were born to be a Captain, or the management snitches whom have their noses buried deep up someone's bum, or those whom revert to pigeon-English when going through immigration in an Asian country . . . You know whom you are. Why create any conflict in the cockpit? Often it is your rude and arrogant behaviour that creates problems and errors. Sadly, many airlines around the world encourage if not condone this cult of complete
.
On the flip side, I was in the jumpseat deadheading when I observed a First Officer, who was a retired R.o.C. Air Force General overrule the Captain, who was a retired R.o.C. Air Force Major, on de-icing. And, in China, I had a smartass FO with his whopping 2,500 hours experience, who could barely make a safe landing, say to me, "You are taking my job, why don't you retire, old man." Advice to wannabe Captains, behave, be professional, bide your time, as those before you had.
If you're sick, don't fly. If your mood or head is not right, don't fly. That easy.
All this crap about the cockpit door, pass code, key around the neck, an extra crewmember on the flight deck during absences for physiological needs is just that.
Fellow Pilots and Crewmembers: We are our own worst enemies. Thirty-six years experience (military and civil) has proven this.