Originally Posted by
PearlPilot
No that is not me, the resignation type according to the definition you gave me. But my point is that doesn't every pilot have one of those personality traits that puts him/her in danger? Yes experience and hard work can enable us to overcome these quirks. I am in no way frustrated at this point, but I see how it can affect on my doing things in the cockpit. For an example, if something goes wrong, the natural tendency is to panic. As pilots we have to learn not to panic and do something about it. But for inexperienced people like me, learning these new skills are a little challenging. You go to work, go to the gym, come home, and bam you get in an airplane and suddenly you have to switch into a very different hat. For some people it might be an easy transition, but for others like me, it takes hard work. Now I am beginning to see how learning to fly is much more than knowing how to maneuver the airplane or learning a few regulations. Certainly there is something else to it.
Most folks will at some time employ most or all of the defense mechanisms and some of the dangerous attitudes. Whether it is a problem or not depends on the magnitude of the reaction, how the instructor deals with it, and most importantly how the student copes with the issue(s).
I agree that your "problem" sounds like a matter of experience...the more you get, the easier things will be.
I've been doing high-speed, dangerous jobs for over 20 years...eventually you need to get to a place where danger or pressure produces a manageable adrenaline rush which gives you enough of a boost to speed your reaction time, but still allows you to proceed in a calm and collected manner (but quickly).
Ideally you will get to a point where you no longer have to rely on reactive procedures...you can THINK, and very quickly. You might make the conscious decision to employ a pre-defined procedure...or you might decide to do something else if circumstances warrant.
In the meantime, just do your memory procedures slowly and calmly enough so that you get them right.