Top 10 Health Benefits of Flying an Airplane

1

The thought of being able to hop in a plane and escape to another city, state or country in the matter of a few hours is exciting. And for pilots who either fly recreationally or as a career, it can be a rewarding experience. But did you know that there are several physical and mental benefits of being able to fly an airplane? You might be surprised how it could benefit your health.

Here are the top 10 health benefits of flying an airplane:

  • Focus: Training to fly an airplane requires focus and attention on getting the plane up in the air, staying in the air and also lading the airplane. This also requires you to multitask, which requires mental acuity and can translate to daily academic and professional responsibilities.
  • Mind relaxation: Being able to travel to new places is great for mind relaxation and rejuvenation. It allows one to explore a new place every once in a while and discover something new about themselves and about the environment around them.
  • Stress free: Unlike other desk jobs, pilots don’t necessarily stick to a 9-to-5 job. This makes it a less stressful job.
  • Physically fit: A pilot also needs to be in good physical condition, considering that captains need to pass a physical exam once every 6 months, and other commercial pilots need to pass an exam every year. This not only ensures that the pilot stays fit for his/her job but also encourages them to lead a healthy lifestyle.
  • Mentally stable: A pilot must be mentally fit to perform the job. Unlike most other professions, many people’s lives depend on the pilot’s ability to stay calm and collected while solving problems. This encourages them to be in a better mental state overall.
  • Understand basic physiology: The FAA requires that a pilot be able to recognize physical problems that may affect him or herself or any passengers. The pilot also has to know how to prevent these problems. In addition, the pilot must understand the various illusions and sensations that occur in flight that could adversely affect safety.
  • Adrenaline rush: Every time a pilot flies a plane, there’s always something exciting yet terrifying of pulling an aircraft up in the air and getting it safely landed. This adrenaline rush is a natural response that helps with our fight or flight response, allowing the pilots to be more focused while flying an aircraft.
  • Passion: The main reason one wants to learn to fly an aircraft is because of his/her passion for flying. One has to be really passionate to get into this career, and pilots that are usually successful and happy with their careers are the ones that followed their passion right from the start. It’s a very rewarding experience every time they fly an aircraft.
  • No sedentary job: One of the many perks of being a pilot is that it has flexible hours. What makes it even better is that your office is THE SKY which makes going to work a lot more intriguing than just staring at an office desk for 12 hours straight.
  • Health insurance: Pilots get good health insurance for themselves and their families. They also get matched 401k retirement funds and paid vacations that last up to three weeks each year in addition to all of the regular time off.

To read our interview with a pilot about the importance of health and fitness within the field, please click here.

1 COMMENT

Leave a Reply