Want to be a pilot - will AS stop me?

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innocuous
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20 Sep 2006, 11:32 am

As the topic says, will my syndrome stop me from becoming a pilot? It would be a dream come true if I got accepted.

If it would help, my main symptoms are:
Bad non-verbal contact (eye-to-eye, body language, etc) - (I practically never use these.)
Qualitative impairment in social interaction - (very bad, I have no friends)

Would my AS stop me from flying?



Featherways
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20 Sep 2006, 11:39 am

Only one way to find out for sure - book a flying lesson. I've flown a light aircraft and there was a lot to take in and think about. Knowing how to react when something unexpected happens is important, as is being able to scan a lot of instruments fast and spot the ones that aren't working so well.
It was too much for me, but you may find you can manage perfectly well.



lawpoop
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20 Sep 2006, 12:19 pm

Being a pilot would be an ideal job for an aspie, I think.

As a pilot, you are captain of the ship. You are the boss. There are rules and procedures for everything. It requires concentration and a logical mind. Communication with co-pilot, crew and ground crew is not based on BS, backslapping and negotiation, but protocol and information.



mysteriouslyabsent
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20 Sep 2006, 1:55 pm

lawpoop wrote:
Being a pilot would be an ideal job for an aspie, I think.

As a pilot, you are captain of the ship. You are the boss. There are rules and procedures for everything. It requires concentration and a logical mind. Communication with co-pilot, crew and ground crew is not based on BS, backslapping and negotiation, but protocol and information.


Agreed. I was going to be a pilot until my poor eyesight thwarted my plans :(



Litigious
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20 Sep 2006, 3:21 pm

If you're short sighted, you can operate that with laser.


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donkey
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20 Sep 2006, 5:19 pm

i was going to be a pilot but im scared of heights.



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20 Sep 2006, 5:43 pm

I would think that having poor non-verbal communication should not be a problem at all, since most of your communication will be spoken over radios.



Lupine_Ragdoll
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21 Sep 2006, 1:04 pm

My Dad's a flying instructor, and he gave the following advice:

"Contact the Civil Aviation Authority at Gactwick, London if you live in the UK, and speak to the Safety Regulation Group and Chief Medical Officer who will advise you how to proceed. If you live in America, contact the Federal Aviation Administration."

I'm afraid I don't know that much about flying myself, but hopefully this should be of some help. :)


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hyper_alien
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21 Sep 2006, 2:29 pm

ive flown with the ATC

i am aspie adhd female with glasses

if have adhd or/and AS you wont fly solo

they were the guidlines set down when i joined the air cadets.


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dexkaden
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21 Sep 2006, 4:33 pm

I love to fly, but I can't get my license because I can't fly solo--too much information to process upon entering and exiting airspace, and landing, plus, in an emergency, I freeze. But I still love to fly.


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wobbegong
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22 Sep 2006, 7:24 am

Tony Attwood said many of the commercial jet pilots were aspie.

It's a perfect job for an aspie. Lots of step by step instructions for every eventualilty including the emergencies. Aspies are less likely to get distracted by emotional stuff.

And pilots are expected to be (perceived as) arrogant, aloof, superior, imperative, and not expected to comfort the hosties when they get upset.



donkey
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22 Sep 2006, 12:09 pm

wobbegong wrote:
And pilots are expected to be (perceived as) arrogant, aloof, superior, imperative, and not expected to comfort the hosties when they get upset.


i think a lot of hostess comforting goes on on these long haul flights on the stopover between flights.
they get down between getting up.



Mork
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22 Sep 2006, 4:12 pm

donkey wrote:
i was going to be a pilot but im scared of heights.


I would love to be a pilot but I'm scared of heights too lol.

Another thing is I would find it hard to speak to air traffic control



Lupine_Ragdoll
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23 Sep 2006, 7:12 am

Mork wrote:
donkey wrote:
i was going to be a pilot but im scared of heights.


I would love to be a pilot but I'm scared of heights too lol.

Another thing is I would find it hard to speak to air traffic control


I don't think being scared of heights actually matters that much when you're flying. My Mum is a microlight pilot, and she's scared of heights, and even my Dad isn't too fond of them. We also know other pilots who are afraid of heights, yet have no problem with flying, and I'm not really fond of heights myself (I tend to get vertigo when I look down from great heights) but I've been flying with Dad many times and not been affected. I think when you're as high up as flying requires, it seems more surreal, so you have less of a sense of how high up you really are. :)


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paulsinnerchild
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23 Sep 2006, 8:37 pm

Didn't stop Howard Hughes from test piloting his "Spruce Goose" and he was an aspie in a very big way.

It is funny that someone should mention heights because I am afraid of heights as so far as I do not like getting up on the roof of our house and cleaning leaves out of the gutters, or standing on the top rung of a step ladder; it terrifies me. But I did not have a problem with bungee jumping; I willingly gave that a try and enjoyed it.