FAA Instrument Rating Airplane (IRA)Aeromedical and ADMHard
A pilot receives an unexpected reroute from ATC shortly before top of descent. Feeling rushed, the pilot immediately reprograms the FMS without cross-checking the new routing against the approach plate, and continues the descent. This behavior is most representative of which hazardous attitude?
- AMacho
- BInvulnerability
- CAnti-authority
- DImpulsivity
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Impulsivity
Impulsivity is the hazardous attitude characterized by the need to act immediately without adequately thinking through a situation, often reflected in the thought 'do something quickly.' Reprogramming the FMS and continuing without verification, driven by feeling rushed, reflects this hasty, unreflective action pattern.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Macho involves trying to prove superior ability, typically through risk-taking to impress others, not simply rushing.
- B. Invulnerability involves believing accidents happen to others, not rushing to act without thinking.
- C. Anti-authority involves resenting or disregarding rules and instructions, not acting hastily under time pressure.
Impulsivity (Hazardous Attitude)
A hazardous attitude in which a pilot feels the need to act immediately without adequate reflection, thinking 'do something quickly' even when a pause for analysis would be safer.
- Antidote thought: 'Not so fast, think first'
- Often triggered by time pressure or perceived urgency
- One of the five classic hazardous attitudes along with anti-authority, invulnerability, macho, and resignation
Memory trick: Rushing without thinking is impulsivity striking