PhD, Professor V.I. Shalupin¹
PhD, Professor I.A. Rodionova¹
D.V. Romanyuk^1
1Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation, Moscow

Keywords: psychophysical training, psychophysical efficiency, civil air traffic controller, extreme stress tolerance.

Background. Civil air traffic control services by experienced and skillful civil air traffic controllers are in the growing demand with the growing inflow of the foreign aircraft to the national airspace and new airfields developed and needed to be served. Despite the technological progress of the air traffic control service, man has always been and still remains the main and most vulnerable link in the air traffic control system. The article analyzes benefits of new psychophysical training for future civil air traffic controllers [3, p.118].
Practice shows that a large number of errors due to which aircraft accidents and crashes occur are determined by the human factor. The main reasons are: low level of professional competency of civil air traffic controllers; insufficient level of psychological preparedness; lack of skills in the civil air traffic control under extreme conditions, insufficient stress tolerance in emergency situations; insufficient physical fitness level and, as a result, increased fatigue of a specialist.
Objective of the study was to give theoretical grounds for and test benefits of the psychophysical training and gymnastics exercises for future civil air traffic controllers.
Methods and structure of the study. Sampled for the study were the second-year students of Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation majoring in civil air traffic control (n=40). Their educational activity was monitored and analyzed throughout two semesters. The students were trained according to the same physical education curriculum. Each group (CG and EG) was made of 20 students. The CG students were trained according to the regular program, while the EG ones – using the psychophysical training techniques and posture exercises that reduce fatigue and quickly restore the functions of visual analyzer.
The diagnostic system consists of the following components: Luscher (color) test, which helped determine the psycho-vegetative activity of the students [2], a random methodology based on the registration of parameters of consciously regulated visual-motor activities of the subject: assessment of the speed and accuracy of visual-motor reaction, simple mental response, choice reaction, reaction to a moving object [5].
One of the means to preserve the necessary physical working capacity level of a future specialist is psychophysical training, which has become widespread in recent years [1, 6, 7]. It promotes increase of the functional capabilities of the body, physical working capacity, strengthening of health and restoration of the functions of visual analyzer, which is obviously of great importance for work of civil air traffic controllers.
The specificity of psychophysical training is that a person himself goes into hypnotic trance by means of specially selected exercises. During such exercises, using certain poses or performing special physical exercises, a person succeeds to regulate own physiological processes in the body (for example, deceleration or acceleration of heart rate, restoration of respiratory processes, improvement of the functions of visual analyzer, etc.). Regular trainings help decrease asthenopia (eyestrain).
Psychophysical training affects all body systems. This method includes physical exercises that raise the possibilities of self-regulation of initially involuntary functions of the bodily systems, including visual analyzer.
In the work of civil air traffic controllers, psychophysical training can be a powerful means to improve stress tolerance in aviation emergency situations; it is a means of providing adaptation mechanisms of regulation of sympathetic and parasympathetic (tension-relaxation) functional systems [3, 4].
During psychophysical trainings, it is muscle fibers that relax first, then the body gradually falls into trance (mental state), after which the cortex receives a signal to introduce certain "formulas" of self-intimidation. To a degree, there is a process of psycho-coding.
Regulatory processes are individual for each civil air traffic controller, as they are determined by individual psychological features and requirements of a particular activity. Civil air traffic control places special requirements on stress tolerance and psycho-emotional state of the air traffic controller. The lack of self-regulation skills can lead to negative consequences.
Results and discussion. The general provisions outlined above confirm the data in Table 1.

Table 1. Phychophysical indicators of students during physical education activities

As evidenced by the statistical significant differences presented in the table, the EG students were ahead of the CG ones in terms of speed of choice reaction and reaction to a moving object. These psychophysical components are the most important for professional activities of civil air traffic controllers.
The main element of training of the EG students was psychophysical training. One of the main components of psychophysical training, in our opinion, may be relaxation exercises that help restore emotional and physical condition.
Proceeding from the analysis of the data obtained, we identified the following: 1) regular psychophysical trainings improve the functional state of almost all organs and systems of the body, including visual analyzer; 2) the activity, well-being and mood rates increase.
Conclusions. The findings confirm that regular psychophysical trainings lead to optimization of the functional state of all bodily systems, which is important for civil air traffic controllers. The data obtained testify to the fact that regular psychophysical trainings are highly recommended for civil air traffic controllers, as they contribute to the improvement of the function of visual analyzer and restoration of physical working capacity of the whole body in the shortest time possible.
Psychophysical trainings help increase stress tolerance and maintain the high physical working capacity level of civil aviation workers, in particular, civil air traffic controllers, which may become a serious resource for increasing labor productivity.

References

1. Bakh A.B. Autogenic training by Vladimir Levi. M.: AST; Vladimir: VKT publ., 2011. 60 p. (100 famous recovery systems).
2. Luscher M. Luscher Color Test. St. Petersburg: Sova. M.: EKSMO-Press publ., 2002. 192 p.
3. Rodionova I.A., Shalupin V.I., Karpushin V.V. Mental resistance to stress situations in aerodrome specialists as flight safety factor.  Nauchny vestnik MGTU GA. 2015.no. 218. pp. 117-121.
4. Rodionov A.V. Psychophysiological mechanisms of adaptation to extreme activity. Fundamentals of psychophysiology of extreme activity. M., 2006. pp. 75-90.
5. Sivitsky V.G. Diagnostics of athletes' tactical skills by simulating typical competitive situations. PhD diss. abstr.. M., 1995. 24 p.
6. Shults I.G. Auto-training. M.: Fizkultura i sport publ., 1985. 146 p.
7. Jacobson E. Progressive Relaxation/ -Chicago The University of Chicago Press, 1938. 218

Corresponding author: rodiinna@mail.ru

Abstract
Civil air traffic control services by experienced and skillful civil air traffic controllers are in the growing demand with the growing inflow of the foreign aircraft to the national airspace and new airfields developed and needed to be served. Despite the technological progress of air traffic control service, man has always been and still remains the main and most vulnerable link in the air traffic control system. The article analyzes benefits of new psychophysical training for future civil air traffic controllers. Objective of the study was to give theoretical grounds for and test benefits of the psychophysical training and gymnastics exercises for the future civil air traffic controllers. The study was designed to reveal benefits of the psychophysical training model on a sample of the civil air traffic control course students and offer practical recommendations on how the model should be implemented. Sampled for the study were the second-year students of Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation majoring in civil air traffic control whose progress was tested by Luscher (color) test and our version of the visual motor response test. The psychophysical training model with a special priority to relaxation practices was dominant among the key physical training elements of the sample.