-
Welcome to the Bloggs Blog
Why Armchair Fly?
In British military aviation we talk a lot about Armchair Flying; it’s a form of mental rehearsal that’s been used by elite pilots for decades. For most aircrew, it involves sitting quietly, eyes closed, running through the elements of a sortie in the mind’s eye. This can help prepare for a wide range of scenarios, from routine procedures to emergency situations.
There’s no shortage of vocal proponents of this practice, from Colonel Chris Hadfield to the Red Arrows. Chesley Sullenberger credited his successful forced landing on the Hudson River to his frequent use of visualization. The issue we have is that despite generations of students being urged by their QFIs to mentally rehearse their sorties, the Central Flying School offers little or no guidance on how this should be done.
In Performance Psychology, this form of mental simulation is known as Visualization or Imagery. It has grown in popularity to the extent it is now widely considered to be an essential part of training amongst elite athletes. This has made it the focus of intense academic study in recent years, and we now know far more about how to get the most out of visualization. Sadly, very little of that new knowledge has crossed over to the world of military aviation. This article will distill the latest empirical findings, as well as techniques used by high level sportsmen, and transpose them into a military aviation context.
As a framework, we’ll use Anders Ericsson’s principles of Deliberate Practice, and Collins and Macnamara’s PETTLEP mnemonic to create a step-by-step guide to Armchair Flying.
How To Armchair Fly
Incorporate the principles of Deliberate Practice:
- Set a Clearly Defined, Stretch Goal. Before you begin, set a specific goal for what you want to achieve during that session and make it challenging. If the task is too easy, you risk boredom. If the target is too vague, you risk daydreaming. To maintain drive and direction, make sure your stated aim is SMARTER: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bounded, Enjoyable, and Reviewed. Make sure the goal is clearly understood and that the parameters defining success are quantifiable. The end goal should stretch your capabilities but still be attainable. Continuously push yourself to improve. Confirm the task you’ve set yourself is relevant: does it seem worthwhile? Is this a priority right now? Is it applicable to the challenges I’ll face on my next trip? After each session, review your performance and identify areas that need improvement. You can do this by comparing your mental simulation to the written procedure in the manual or FRCs.
- Dedicate Full Focus. It is vital you concentrate intently on the task at hand and avoid distractions. Create an environment conducive to focus by removing potential interuptions. One study found that a simple phone notification is enough to break the flow of work and it took on average 15 minutes for participants to return to their previous level of concentration. Set a timeframe for the session: 45 minutes is ideal. Less than this and you may not have enough tme to get into Flow; longer than this and concentration levels begin to drop.
- Receive Immediate Feedback. Most people armchair fly alone, but in his research, Ericsson identified the benefits of immediate, rather than delayed feedback. Our brains hard-wire skills quicker if the consequences of a mistake are felt instantly. You might achieve this through constant reference to documents but try to avoid breaking the flow of the session. Alternatively, research found deliberate practice is more effective when done in collaboration with a partner, coach or mentor who can monitor and critique your performance.
- Repeated Revised Attempts. Fly a procedure in your mind’s eye then check your recollection against your notes. Identify mistakes and omissions, then do it again. Spaced repetition is the key to learning.
Make your imagery as realistic as possible. Studies of skill acquisition have shown that if enough of an effort is made to incorporate all of the senses, the mind will barely differentiate between visualisation and real events.
Physical. Try to create a position and feel that closely mimics the experience of flying. This means sitting in a chair as you would in the cockpit and moving your hands as if they were on the controls. Wearing your helmet, oxygen mask, LSJ, G-suit, etc may not be practical, but you can still wear your flying suit, boots, gloves and kneeboard. Muscle memory formed here will translate to the cockpit, so move your head exactly as you would when looking out, move your hands to select services or switches.
Environment. The environment in which you practice is crucial to the effectiveness of the technique. To fully immerse yourself in the experience, it is essential to imagine the noise of the aircraft, the radio transmissions, and the sound of your breathing in the oxygen mask. You should remember the weight of your harness, your LSJ, and the constriction of your anti-G suit. Feel the G-force as you manoeuvre the aircraft and your body pressing down into the seat.
Task. Recreate the task completely. Do not omit certain aspects in a misplaced endeavour to focus on pure handling. For example, complete the pre-aerobatic checks and routine engine and instrument checks. Lookout for other aircraft and be mindful of the aircraft’s direction and position in space. By doing so, you will be better prepared for any situation that may arise when you are flying in real life.
Timing. The tempo of your armchair flying should be the same as it is for real. This means not rushing through or inching along. If necessary, use a clock and consider real-life issues such as fuel burn and mission timeline. Cadence is a powerful memory tool, so establish a beat to your checks and the lead-up to a manoeuvre, like singing along to a song. However, do not always try to armchair fly a whole sortie from start to finish in real-time. Split the flight up into individual elements and run through each as a separate exercise. The shorter the segments of the profile, the easier they will be to review and repeat.
Learning. If you make mistakes during your visualization, it is likely you would have made them in the air. Therefore, it is essential to identify the cause and put barriers in place to prevent recurrence. Did you omit a check because you lacked a trigger? Review and amend your actions. Rehearsal and learning are not mutually exclusive. Identifying incorrect actions is not enough, you need to re-imagine the correct course of action and rehearse it.
Emotion. Conjure the emotions you feel when flying, be it the anxiety of having an examiner in the seat behind you, or queasiness from a slow-roll aero. Try to recreate the fatigue, the excitement, and any uncertainty you feel when you’re caught short. As you know, mental capacity seems to drain away as soon as the helmet goes on and the engine roars. Therefore, building these emotions into your practice will help you counter the effect on the day itself.
Perspective. Finally, it can help to mix up perspectives when practicing armchair flying. While it is natural to visualize the situation as if through your own eyes, you may find it useful to picture the aircraft from an external perspective. For example, imagine what your wingman would see during formation or picture the ground track the aircraft takes during an aerobatic routine. By mixing viewpoints you may attain a deeper understanding of a manoeuvre.
-
The Psychological Characteristics of Developing Excellence
Why Armchair Fly?
In British military aviation we talk a lot about Armchair Flying; it’s a form of mental rehearsal that’s been used by elite pilots for decades. For most aircrew, it involves sitting quietly, eyes closed, running through the elements of a sortie in the mind’s eye. This can help prepare for a wide range of scenarios, from routine procedures to emergency situations.
There’s no shortage of vocal proponents of this practice, from Colonel Chris Hadfield to the Red Arrows. Chesley Sullenberger credited his successful forced landing on the Hudson River to his frequent use of visualization. The issue we have is that despite generations of students being urged by their QFIs to mentally rehearse their sorties, the Central Flying School offers little or no guidance on how this should be done.
In Performance Psychology, this form of mental simulation is known as Visualization or Imagery. It has grown in popularity to the extent it is now widely considered to be an essential part of training amongst elite athletes. This has made it the focus of intense academic study in recent years, and we now know far more about how to get the most out of visualization. Sadly, very little of that new knowledge has crossed over to the world of military aviation. This article will distill the latest empirical findings, as well as techniques used by high level sportsmen, and transpose them into a military aviation context.
As a framework, we’ll use Anders Ericsson’s principles of Deliberate Practice, and Collins and Macnamara’s PETTLEP mnemonic to create a step-by-step guide to Armchair Flying.
How To Armchair Fly
Incorporate the principles of Deliberate Practice:
- Set a Clearly Defined, Stretch Goal. Before you begin, set a specific goal for what you want to achieve during that session and make it challenging. If the task is too easy, you risk boredom. If the target is too vague, you risk daydreaming. To maintain drive and direction, make sure your stated aim is SMARTER: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bounded, Enjoyable, and Reviewed. Make sure the goal is clearly understood and that the parameters defining success are quantifiable. The end goal should stretch your capabilities but still be attainable. Continuously push yourself to improve. Confirm the task you’ve set yourself is relevant: does it seem worthwhile? Is this a priority right now? Is it applicable to the challenges I’ll face on my next trip? After each session, review your performance and identify areas that need improvement. You can do this by comparing your mental simulation to the written procedure in the manual or FRCs.
- Dedicate Full Focus. It is vital you concentrate intently on the task at hand and avoid distractions. Create an environment conducive to focus by removing potential interuptions. One study found that a simple phone notification is enough to break the flow of work and it took on average 15 minutes for participants to return to their previous level of concentration. Set a timeframe for the session: 45 minutes is ideal. Less than this and you may not have enough tme to get into Flow; longer than this and concentration levels begin to drop.
- Receive Immediate Feedback. Most people armchair fly alone, but in his research, Ericsson identified the benefits of immediate, rather than delayed feedback. Our brains hard-wire skills quicker if the consequences of a mistake are felt instantly. You might achieve this through constant reference to documents but try to avoid breaking the flow of the session. Alternatively, research found deliberate practice is more effective when done in collaboration with a partner, coach or mentor who can monitor and critique your performance.
- Repeated Revised Attempts. Fly a procedure in your mind’s eye then check your recollection against your notes. Identify mistakes and omissions, then do it again. Spaced repetition is the key to learning.
Make your imagery as realistic as possible. Studies of skill acquisition have shown that if enough of an effort is made to incorporate all of the senses, the mind will barely differentiate between visualisation and real events.
Physical. Try to create a position and feel that closely mimics the experience of flying. This means sitting in a chair as you would in the cockpit and moving your hands as if they were on the controls. Wearing your helmet, oxygen mask, LSJ, G-suit, etc may not be practical, but you can still wear your flying suit, boots, gloves and kneeboard. Muscle memory formed here will translate to the cockpit, so move your head exactly as you would when looking out, move your hands to select services or switches.
Environment. The environment in which you practice is crucial to the effectiveness of the technique. To fully immerse yourself in the experience, it is essential to imagine the noise of the aircraft, the radio transmissions, and the sound of your breathing in the oxygen mask. You should remember the weight of your harness, your LSJ, and the constriction of your anti-G suit. Feel the G-force as you manoeuvre the aircraft and your body pressing down into the seat.
Task. Recreate the task completely. Do not omit certain aspects in a misplaced endeavour to focus on pure handling. For example, complete the pre-aerobatic checks and routine engine and instrument checks. Lookout for other aircraft and be mindful of the aircraft’s direction and position in space. By doing so, you will be better prepared for any situation that may arise when you are flying in real life.
Timing. The tempo of your armchair flying should be the same as it is for real. This means not rushing through or inching along. If necessary, use a clock and consider real-life issues such as fuel burn and mission timeline. Cadence is a powerful memory tool, so establish a beat to your checks and the lead-up to a manoeuvre, like singing along to a song. However, do not always try to armchair fly a whole sortie from start to finish in real-time. Split the flight up into individual elements and run through each as a separate exercise. The shorter the segments of the profile, the easier they will be to review and repeat.
Learning. If you make mistakes during your visualization, it is likely you would have made them in the air. Therefore, it is essential to identify the cause and put barriers in place to prevent recurrence. Did you omit a check because you lacked a trigger? Review and amend your actions. Rehearsal and learning are not mutually exclusive. Identifying incorrect actions is not enough, you need to re-imagine the correct course of action and rehearse it.
Emotion. Conjure the emotions you feel when flying, be it the anxiety of having an examiner in the seat behind you, or queasiness from a slow-roll aero. Try to recreate the fatigue, the excitement, and any uncertainty you feel when you’re caught short. As you know, mental capacity seems to drain away as soon as the helmet goes on and the engine roars. Therefore, building these emotions into your practice will help you counter the effect on the day itself.
Perspective. Finally, it can help to mix up perspectives when practicing armchair flying. While it is natural to visualize the situation as if through your own eyes, you may find it useful to picture the aircraft from an external perspective. For example, imagine what your wingman would see during formation or picture the ground track the aircraft takes during an aerobatic routine. By mixing viewpoints you may attain a deeper understanding of a manoeuvre.
-
Armchair Flying
Why Armchair Fly?
In British military aviation we talk a lot about Armchair Flying; it’s a form of mental rehearsal that’s been used by elite pilots for decades. For most aircrew, it involves sitting quietly, eyes closed, running through the elements of a sortie in the mind’s eye. This can help prepare for a wide range of scenarios, from routine procedures to emergency situations.
There’s no shortage of vocal proponents of this practice, from Colonel Chris Hadfield to the Red Arrows. Chesley Sullenberger credited his successful forced landing on the Hudson River to his frequent use of visualization. The issue we have is that despite generations of students being urged by their QFIs to mentally rehearse their sorties, the Central Flying School offers little or no guidance on how this should be done.
In Performance Psychology, this form of mental simulation is known as Visualization or Imagery. It has grown in popularity to the extent it is now widely considered to be an essential part of training amongst elite athletes. This has made it the focus of intense academic study in recent years, and we now know far more about how to get the most out of visualization. Sadly, very little of that new knowledge has crossed over to the world of military aviation. This article will distill the latest empirical findings, as well as techniques used by high level sportsmen, and transpose them into a military aviation context.
As a framework, we’ll use Anders Ericsson’s principles of Deliberate Practice, and Collins and Macnamara’s PETTLEP mnemonic to create a step-by-step guide to Armchair Flying.
How To Armchair Fly
Incorporate the principles of Deliberate Practice:
- Set a Clearly Defined, Stretch Goal. Before you begin, set a specific goal for what you want to achieve during that session and make it challenging. If the task is too easy, you risk boredom. If the target is too vague, you risk daydreaming. To maintain drive and direction, make sure your stated aim is SMARTER: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bounded, Enjoyable, and Reviewed. Make sure the goal is clearly understood and that the parameters defining success are quantifiable. The end goal should stretch your capabilities but still be attainable. Continuously push yourself to improve. Confirm the task you’ve set yourself is relevant: does it seem worthwhile? Is this a priority right now? Is it applicable to the challenges I’ll face on my next trip? After each session, review your performance and identify areas that need improvement. You can do this by comparing your mental simulation to the written procedure in the manual or FRCs.
- Dedicate Full Focus. It is vital you concentrate intently on the task at hand and avoid distractions. Create an environment conducive to focus by removing potential interuptions. One study found that a simple phone notification is enough to break the flow of work and it took on average 15 minutes for participants to return to their previous level of concentration. Set a timeframe for the session: 45 minutes is ideal. Less than this and you may not have enough tme to get into Flow; longer than this and concentration levels begin to drop.
- Receive Immediate Feedback. Most people armchair fly alone, but in his research, Ericsson identified the benefits of immediate, rather than delayed feedback. Our brains hard-wire skills quicker if the consequences of a mistake are felt instantly. You might achieve this through constant reference to documents but try to avoid breaking the flow of the session. Alternatively, research found deliberate practice is more effective when done in collaboration with a partner, coach or mentor who can monitor and critique your performance.
- Repeated Revised Attempts. Fly a procedure in your mind’s eye then check your recollection against your notes. Identify mistakes and omissions, then do it again. Spaced repetition is the key to learning.
Make your imagery as realistic as possible. Studies of skill acquisition have shown that if enough of an effort is made to incorporate all of the senses, the mind will barely differentiate between visualisation and real events.
Physical. Try to create a position and feel that closely mimics the experience of flying. This means sitting in a chair as you would in the cockpit and moving your hands as if they were on the controls. Wearing your helmet, oxygen mask, LSJ, G-suit, etc may not be practical, but you can still wear your flying suit, boots, gloves and kneeboard. Muscle memory formed here will translate to the cockpit, so move your head exactly as you would when looking out, move your hands to select services or switches.
Environment. The environment in which you practice is crucial to the effectiveness of the technique. To fully immerse yourself in the experience, it is essential to imagine the noise of the aircraft, the radio transmissions, and the sound of your breathing in the oxygen mask. You should remember the weight of your harness, your LSJ, and the constriction of your anti-G suit. Feel the G-force as you manoeuvre the aircraft and your body pressing down into the seat.
Task. Recreate the task completely. Do not omit certain aspects in a misplaced endeavour to focus on pure handling. For example, complete the pre-aerobatic checks and routine engine and instrument checks. Lookout for other aircraft and be mindful of the aircraft’s direction and position in space. By doing so, you will be better prepared for any situation that may arise when you are flying in real life.
Timing. The tempo of your armchair flying should be the same as it is for real. This means not rushing through or inching along. If necessary, use a clock and consider real-life issues such as fuel burn and mission timeline. Cadence is a powerful memory tool, so establish a beat to your checks and the lead-up to a manoeuvre, like singing along to a song. However, do not always try to armchair fly a whole sortie from start to finish in real-time. Split the flight up into individual elements and run through each as a separate exercise. The shorter the segments of the profile, the easier they will be to review and repeat.
Learning. If you make mistakes during your visualization, it is likely you would have made them in the air. Therefore, it is essential to identify the cause and put barriers in place to prevent recurrence. Did you omit a check because you lacked a trigger? Review and amend your actions. Rehearsal and learning are not mutually exclusive. Identifying incorrect actions is not enough, you need to re-imagine the correct course of action and rehearse it.
Emotion. Conjure the emotions you feel when flying, be it the anxiety of having an examiner in the seat behind you, or queasiness from a slow-roll aero. Try to recreate the fatigue, the excitement, and any uncertainty you feel when you’re caught short. As you know, mental capacity seems to drain away as soon as the helmet goes on and the engine roars. Therefore, building these emotions into your practice will help you counter the effect on the day itself.
Perspective. Finally, it can help to mix up perspectives when practicing armchair flying. While it is natural to visualize the situation as if through your own eyes, you may find it useful to picture the aircraft from an external perspective. For example, imagine what your wingman would see during formation or picture the ground track the aircraft takes during an aerobatic routine. By mixing viewpoints you may attain a deeper understanding of a manoeuvre.
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
The Bloggs Blog 