Are some people just born cool-headed, like Capt. Sully or Neil Armstrong?

[raccoon]

Or is this something that can be cultivated?

I think to some extent it can be cultivated; I'm working on it.

[Moondog]

1. I've known examples of both sorts.

So, yes to both.

[Ikonoklast]

2. Don't know about Sully, but Armstrong was an aeronautical engineer, a very good one.

He was always described as very analytical, even during high-pressure situations always trying to formulate a solution.

I think he might have more than a touch of Asperger's, from what people that have worked with him closely have said about him.

FWIW.

[KamaAina]

3. That one I'd never heard.

A favorite parlor game in the Autistic/Aspie community is trying to diagnose famous people, everyone from Thomas Jefferson to Bill Gates. One researcher even devoted a full chapter of a book to a diagnosis of Sherlock Holmes!

But Neil Armstrong is a new one. That'd be unbelievably cool not only because of the moon thing, but becasue he shares my August 5 birthday.

[XemaSab]

4. I think it can be cultivated

But a big part of that is knowing what you're doing.

Sully had been flying airplanes for decades, and if you listen to the flight recorder, he sounded perfectly confident that he could "land" the plane in the river. If he had had any hesitation about his ability to do that, he would have tried to head for one of the local airports and the plane would have crashed. Part of it was luck, but a lot of it was the years of experience that he had.

You should check out the book "Deep Survival." It's about people who were in horrific survival situations, and the author tries to figure out why some people are able to withstand catastrophes and other people panic and die. It's one of my favorite books.

[raccoon]

7. thanks for the suggestion. I'll get hold of that book. nt

[femmocrat]

5. No idea... probably comes with being exceptionally well-trained.

Although, I think I was born hot-headed. I'm a disaster in an emergency.

[calikid]

6. There's no doubt it can be cultivated.

And I have the lumps on the back of my head from my flight instructor to prove it.
As a power pilot with a pending glider add on, I can appreciate the planing that goes into landing without an engine.
Oh, did I forget to mention, Sully is a glider pilot.