Mental Capacity and Multitasking

[JamesTigris]

Can anyone recommend any good sources for improving mental capacity prior to starting Pilot Training?

I'm thinking of a bumper set of speed/distance/time and related questions or tests of juggling a spatial picture in your head...

Also any programs around that could be used to improve multitasking ability? Thinking along the lines of the simulations used for Psychometric testing and the like.

Deffinatly open to anyone's wild ideas on the subject...

[spitfire747]

do you drive a car.. ?

a simple idea i used when i was starting out and indeed used during my IR and also taught to my students, in order to help them gain extra mental capacity and multitasking is when youre driving your car start giving yourself simple mathematical problems to solve, by this i mean as you are negotiating the roundabout ahead try taking 37 from 84 in your head, as you pull away from the lights whats 78 multiplied by 13... etc...
doesn't have to be a car, can be a push bike,motor bike, whilst your cooking your dinner.. anything really where you are using your brain to concentrate.

Simple but I find this helps to train your brain to multitask. As you commence and continue your training, try doing your pre-landing checks, take off checks, cruise checks as you would above, it really will help

Spit ;)

[fireflybob]

Another aspect is that relatively recent research has discovered that when you learn a new skill this is not an "add on" to brain power but there is a multiplier effect.

Put quite simply (I hope!) let's say you go and learn a new language. This will improve your brain power in EVERY other area since you have created new neural pathways. For more info read Tony Buzans book called "Head Strong".

Another technique I used in basic training was to get a mate (yes I had some then!) to throw a tennis ball or similar object towards me whilst reciting, say, the prelanding chex or whatever it was we were trying to learn and then reciprocate same to said mate!

Also a simple affirmation such as "Every day I am becoming better and better at multi-tasking" done ten times over, 3 times a day (first and last best just after waking and just before sleeping since brain is in "alpha" state and more receptive) will quite literally programme your brain to get better at multi-tasking. Dont worry about the "how" - your subconcious will lead you to that!

[jamino]

james psychometric testing is just a set of obscure questions ,which the answers are collated to see if your nuts or not....a genuine question was" what do u think is more attractive,a precision weapon or a piece of romantic poetry?"...you cant really revise just tell the truth and hope its the right answer...

[moggiee]

Try making breakfast for an 8 year old (porridge), a 3 year old (toast), different flavoured milkshakes for each, your own cup of tea and your breakfast, ironing a shirt, making your sandwiches for lunch and feeding the cat at the same time.

That teaches you about multi tasking!

[JamesTigris]

Thanks for the tips. The advice from Spitfire and fireflybob was more like the kind of stuff I was after.

I really I ment aptitude testing rather than the personality profiling type.

Does anyone know where to download programs similar to these tests?

Keeping the ball in the centre of the cross and all that sort of thing?

I'll give the driving and ball throwing type of ideas a try, but I think learning Japanese is beyond me! :=

[Pilot Pete]

Computer games that require hand/ eye co-ordination are good for improving that area. I don't know if you saw the 'child of our time' series which follows several kids from birth in the year 2000 through their development over the years. There was one kid (obviously now 5 years old) who was from Northern Ireland and he spent a lot of time sat in fron tof the TV playing Playstation. I reeled and took a sharp intake of breath at the parenting style, but the Professor Robert Winston showed the surprising results to tests run on all the kids. This kid was playing those 'shoot 'em up games', like Doom and his spatial awareness and reactions were superb. He was much better than the other kids at working out logic problems and getting a result, often thinking 'outside the box' to use an unconventional method to get the result (reward) he wanted. The other kids trailed in his wake. Granted his social skills were not as good, but I am guessing you have those already?!;)

So try playing those sorts of games and this one (http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/rockface/game/index.shtml) which is pretty tricky, but can be done with lots of practice.

Hope that helps.

PP

[Simon853]

I breezed through the PilApt testing, especially the joystick control tests, and I put that down squarely to playing flight sim "games". While it's highly debatable that they help much, if at all, in leanring to fly real aircraft, they certainly do teach you to read instruments, navigate and control the "aircraft" at the same time. (Plus you've got the occasional Mig on your tail to deal with also!)

Si