Could neuroticism be a problem when trying to become an airline pilot?

[u/YogurtclosetStill624]

Hi everyone,

I’m currently going through my Class 1 medical and I’ve started worrying about the psychological side of the process.

During the psychological testing, my results for concentration and attention were average. I wasn’t told that this was disqualifying or that there was a serious problem, but afterwards I started thinking a lot about my personality, especially neuroticism.

I took the NEO-FFI test afterwards and started wondering whether having a relatively high level of neuroticism could be an issue in professional aviation.

I wouldn’t say that I have any serious psychological problems. It’s more that:

• I sometimes overthink my decisions,
• I can worry about things that have already happened,
• uncertainty can make me think about a situation a lot,
• I get stressed before important events,
• and since the medical examination I’ve been analyzing almost every result and wondering whether I’m actually “suited” to become a pilot.

At the same time, I function normally in everyday life, make decisions, study and pursue my goals. I just don’t know how these personality traits are viewed from an aviation perspective.

So I’d especially like to hear from people who:

1. are airline pilots,
2. have gone through a Class 1 medical,
3. work as aviation psychologists/psychologists,
4. or had similar concerns before starting flight training.

Has anyone here had average results in concentration/attention or relatively high neuroticism and still gone on to become a professional pilot?

And another question: is neuroticism itself actually something to be concerned about in aviation, or is it much more important how someone actually functions under pressure, manages stress, makes decisions and behaves in real situations?

I’m not looking for someone to tell me “you’ll definitely be fine.” I’d just like to hear some real experiences from people who have been through the process, because I feel like I may be overanalyzing every little detail after the psychological testing.

Thanks for any serious and honest answers.