Mindlessness

Harbor Light News, January 24, 2023

By Charlie MacInnis

A distracted pilot is a dangerous pilot. When I prepare to fly, I must focus on the tasks at hand. Conversations with passengers are kept to a minimum until the airplane is at cruising altitude.

A pilot with an attention deficit isn’t allowed by the FAA to use Ritalin. The most recent issue of “Pilot” magazine published by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association reported on a non-pharmaceutical alternative that goes back thousands of years: “mindfulness.” It’s an exercise that clears and calms the mind. The author writes, “Paradoxically, it’s a mental workout that leaves you rested and stronger.”