GLH Systems

How do we make decisions under pressure?
In skydiving we spend thousands of hours teaching procedures.
Pull priorities.
Emergency procedures.
Canopy patterns.
Landing priorities.

But a question I have been researching for several years is:
Why do trained people sometimes fail to execute the correct procedure when they need it most?
The answer may not simply be a lack of knowledge or discipline.
Under stress, humans experience:
- reduced information processing,
- narrowing of attention,
- time pressure,
- sensory overload.
The real challenge is not only teaching people what to do — it is preparing the brain to recognise the situation quickly enough to make the right decision.

Interested to hear thoughts from jumpers and instructors:

What situations have you experienced where the decision was harder than the procedure?