From Sports to Flying
What can sport teach us about flying? Quite a lot, it seems. The journal Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors recently published “Applying sport psychology to aviation”, an article by Simone Caso of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Daan Vlaskam and Annemarie Landman of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The authors draw useful parallels between sport and flying, but their most valuable contribution is showing how ideas from sport psychology could help pilots become more mentally resilient, sharper in their thinking, and safer in their decisions.
Flying is not just a technical activity. It is also a psychological one. What happens in the cockpit depends not only on knowledge and skill, but on how well pilots manage their attention, actions and reactions; especially when the pressure is on. The article highlights two groups of techniques that may help: ‘self-regulation’ and ‘performance-enhancing mindsets’.
1. ‘Self-regulation’ basically refers to taking charge of your actions. Self-regulation is about pausing, reflecting and making deliberate choices, rather than simply reacting. In sport, it means building the discipline to perform consistently. In aviation, it can help pilots stay focused, prepare well, and respond more effectively when circumstances become demanding. The authors identify five techniques: (1) ‘goal setting’: Clear, specific goals give effort a direction. Research by Edwin Locke, later developed with Gary Latham, suggests that goals are more likely to motivate action when people understand them and genuinely commit to them. A target imposed without personal buy-in is less likely to inspire the same effort; (2) ‘imagery’: Mentally rehearsing a procedure or situation gives pilots an opportunity to walk through their actions before they need to perform them. This mental run-through can help reveal potential errors, and allow them to think through corrections in advance; (3) ‘self-talk’: The way we speak to ourselves can help organise our thoughts, direct attention, and filter out distractions. It can also prompt us to question assumptions or recognise biases that might otherwise go unnoticed; (4) ‘pre-performance routine’: Familiar, structured habits help create consistency. A reliable routine can focus attention, reduce anxiety, and give pilots a greater sense of control before a demanding task; (5) ‘mindfulness’: Staying aware of what is happening around us, here and now, helps protect attention when pressure rises. In aviation, that means remaining alert to the situation rather than allowing stress or distraction to take over.
2. ‘Performance-enhancing mindsets’, which refers to staying open and persistent, is less about a specific technique and more about the mindset a pilot brings to learning and performance. The authors highlight two elements: The first is a ‘growth mindset’, which is the belief that skills can improve through effort, practice and feedback. None of us knows our full potential in advance. Progress can stall when we assume our current abilities are fixed; it can open up when we remain willing to learn and improve. The second is ‘grit’, which is the ability to sustain passion and perseverance towards long-term goals, even when setbacks or prolonged challenges make the journey difficult. It takes emotional energy to keep going, maintain interest, and continue working towards improvement over time.
These ideas are well established in sport psychology. The article’s value lies in exploring how they might be applied to pilot training and performance. For self-regulation, that could mean structured learning, clear priorities, mentally rehearsing procedures, practising how to maintain focus during startle events, developing consistent pre-flight habits, and taking personal psychological wellbeing seriously. Together, these practices may help pilots build resilience. A growth-oriented approach also matters as aviation environments, technologies and practices evolve. Mentoring, social support and useful feedback can help pilots adapt, learn from experience and continue developing, rather than relying only on what they already know.
But what does this mean for aviation?
The transfer from sport to the cockpit is not automatic. Aviation has its own operational demands, and many procedures are prescribed for good reason. Any approach must fit the realities of flying rather than simply importing sporting techniques wholesale. The wider organisational environment matters too. Do organisations genuinely value development? Are instructors equipped to support it? Do attitudes and training structures encourage pilots to learn, reflect and improve? These factors can either support or undermine the development of self-regulation, and a performance-focused mindset.
Many of these principles will already feel familiar to aviation personnel because they overlap with the non-technical skills developed through Crew Resource Management (CRM). The opportunity is to make the psychological skills more explicit in pilot development, thus connecting them to the training, support and everyday practices that help people perform at their best.
The authors capture the point well: “By systematically translating and tailoring these mental skills for aviation, organizations could strengthen pilot readiness and performance…and fostering adaptive coping in routine and crisis situations” (p. 49).
The takeaway is straightforward: technical competence remains essential, but how pilots prepare, focus, learn and respond under pressure matter too. Sport psychology does not offer a ready-made formula for aviation. It does, however, provide useful ideas worth adapting carefully so pilots can keep developing, handle challenges more effectively, and support safer performance.
Reference
Caso, S., Vlaskamp, D. & Landman, A. (2026). Applying sport psychology to aviation: Ensuring resilient pilot performance through self-regulation techniques and tools. Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors, Vol. 16 (1). 42-54.