Dyselixic Pilots

[Helififtysix]

Hey everybody I just to find out how many current or training pilots suffer from dyslexia.

I want to know are there many dyslexic pilots are out there and how they found or are finding the training and life in the work place and if they find it problem when flying?

All the best to everyone and thank you in advance

[doctordoom]

Hi Helififtysix I dont think you are going to get many people to tell the truth on this one, but I know of a few pilots who suffer from dyslexia. I dont think it caused them to much trouble. I am sure there are plenty of pilots who suffer from this who keep it hidden. I would not let it put you off training and would go for it. On the other hand if you suffer from the numeric form it mite cause some trouble and could also be a danger to yourself and others just be carefull and dont take any chances when it comes to saftey. Best of luck

[plumponpies]

I Fly and im nit dislastic at all!!



Sorry couldn't resast thit one.!

[michael95u]

We have had a few dyslexic student pilots at my flight school. They all struggled through the program and none were able to complete the flight instructor training as the amount of material they needed to absorb in a short time period just wasn't going to happen.

Michael

[Flightless Falcon]

wouldnt worry about it....

i know a person that graduated out of flight school with deslexia and managed a 96.45 average first time passes in them all, and a first time pass in IR.... u be grand... go for it..... It up to you though,,, there is a lot of information to absorb in a short period of time,,,,...

Best of luck in your training

[corsair]

Dyselixic

deslexia

Is that a sympton?

[preduk]

I believe dyslexia comes in different levels so it's a bit of a hard question to answer, I'm sure there are those who suffer from it who may or may not know.

It would really deppend on your maths/physics/communication skills.

[Helififtysix]

That’s some good support out there, thanks maybe I should of pointed out that I am already on the other end of the training and just finishing off my commercial modular course. So i have experienced the hard work already and your right there are different level from mild to severe.

I guess i just to find out if there any other out there to see how they coped other whether i could give them the boosted to step up to plate, but there have been some good comments and glad to hear them.

So if you reading this and you want ask question or you are in cockpit would be great if you can share your experience

P.s I love word spell checker

[doctordoom]

Helififtysix check your PM

[Fantome]

If the dyslexia is marked enough to be classified as dyspraxia, a flying career is not advisable.

Dyspraxic people have balance and co-ordination problems. They will show several of the symptoms below:

Shows up as "clumsiness" caused by motor difficulties caused by perceptual problems, especially visual-motor and kinesthetic-motor difficulties.

• Prone to accidents, may fall a lot, bump into furniture
• Poor hand-eye, foot-eye coordination
• Slow and poor at dressing, unable to tie shoelaces, do up buttons etc
• Speech and language difficulties
• Difficulty in holding a pen properly
• Poor writing and drawing abilities
• Reading and spelling difficulties
• Walk awkwardly
• Confused about which hand to use
• Difficulties throwing or catching a ball
• Poor short term memory, they often forget tasks learned the previous
• day
• Reading and writing difficulties
• Cannot hold a pen or pencil properly
• Cannot hop, skip or ride a bike
• Cannot answer simple questions even though they know the answers
• Speech problems, slow to learn to speak or speech may be incoherent

If however your dyslexia does not effect your motor skills, you can turn as directed left or right instantly, and is only manifested by spelling difficulties, blithely adopt the motto DYSLEXICS OF THE WORLD UNTIE and concentrate on becoming proficient in your field.

[preduk]

fantome,

I'm not sure the poster was talking about Dyspraxia more Dysgraphia or Dyscalculia, I may be wrong though.

[tegwin]

As above...dont get Dyslexia and Dspraxia confused!

Some of the greatest minds were Dyslexic...Einstein for a start...

If you have concerns about your abilities/inabilities seek an Educational Phsychologist. They will be able to run some tests (3-4 hours) and tell you exactly where your weaknesses are.

I know a very good one who is relativley cheap. Drop me a PM if you want more details.

[doctordoom]

Another great person with Dyslexia is Jackie Stewart, I dont think he had any problems knowing his left from his right or had Poor hand-eye, foot-eye coordination and I am sure he could hold a pen. There are many was of over coming Dyslexia and Jackie Stewart gives regular talks on ways that he managed his life with a very severe form of Dyslexia. I dont think Helififtysix will have any problems, he has all his exams over with. Fantome I know plenty of people that have the same symptoms that you describe and they dont have Dyslexia

[BigGrecian]

I think it depends on the individual.

I have trained dyslexic pilots who found it a little harder than the average, but in the grand scheme of things it posed no real problem.

I have also trained dyslexic pilots who have struggled consistently at private, and commercial level trying to overcome their difficulties, and unfortunately will never make it to the right hand seat.

[Whirlygig]

Hello Mad Jock! Well, here I am, sh!t hot at grammar and also knowing about Fourier and Laplace transforms! Seems I should earn somewhere between £5 an hour and £100k per annum. Actually, that's about right.

In my somwhat limited experience, I can usually tell the difference between typos, spelling mistakes, poor grammar due to bad education, dyslexic English and just plain bloody laziness. It is the last of these that gets up most people's noses, including mine!

Every dyslexic person I have met (only a few admittedly) has been able to converse in perfectly good English but has had difficulty with the written word. In some careers, this could be a problem but I doubt it would be in aviation. However, chips on shoulders can be an issue!

Cheers

Whirls

[clear prop!!!]

Well, it didn’t stop Mr. Branson building one of the World’s most successful Airlines and getting himself a license, all be it a balloon one!

Fact is that research shows that, statistically dyslexics, generally speaking, have an extremely high intellect.

Problem is that their spelling, and untreated difficulties reading, tends to have them put in the wrong box, thus destroying confidence resulting in self belief that they are stupid.

As for becoming pilots, dyslexics, more often than not, have a higher than average spatial awareness and ability to absorb detailed information.

As or ATPL studies, someone who is dyslexic, and, has been taught coping strategies, should have little problems given that the exams are multiple choice and don’t require a written dissertation!

BTW, what happened to Mad Jock's post?, did he he remove it due to some sort of ill informed predudice?

[preduk]

Bill Gates as well!

[smith]

I used to be anorexic .............. sorry , I mean dyslexic and it didn't hold me back!

[beerdrinker]

No problem in our family. I turned out to be left / right dyslexic and managed a 35 year Airline career and still fly my own aircraft. No. 1 son is and is a Harrier pilot. No 2 is and has 1st Class degree from Oxford and a PPL.

IF you want to fly go for it but be prepared to have to work hard.

[chipmunkj]

I am dyslexic---now in my 50's and have been flying Chipmunks for 35 years, on a PPL.
As long as you are taught the right "skills" for your dyslexia, i cant see flying is a problem.