Time Fies

“But if in your thought you must measure time into seasons, let each season encircle all the other seasons, and let today embrace the past with remembrance and the future with longing.” 

Khalil Gibran

Have you ever noticed how time can drag during a boring meeting or fly by when you are having a great, well, time. As we age, it seems to pass increasingly rapidly. Those endless childhood days in the fields, and playing in the garden making concoctions with flowers, leaves and mud - seemed to stretch on forever, while a decade in later adulthood slips away seemingly unnoticed. It's like the hourglass runs faster the less sand is left, at least it feels that way.

This idea hit me unexpectedly one morning. My alarm buzzed at 6:00 a.m. I silenced it, dozed off, and fell into a dream state. Whole scenarios played out in my dreams, conversations, events, even memories building on each other into a complete whole immediately recallable experience. The chronology of those dreams clearly felt like hours had passed, I mean the string of events and recall was so detailed. When I again woke up, I was convinced I'd overslept and was late for work. Mild panic struck, a short of cortisol right in the veins. I looked at the clock, it read 6:03am?. I'd been out for maybe three minutes. How was that possible?

It reminded me of movies like Inception, where deeper dream levels stretch time endlessly, or Interstellar, where time warps near black holes and distant planets. In my dream, it was as if I'd slipped into a different dimension, experiencing time at a different pace. It made me wonder, does our mindset dictate how we perceive time? Science seems to support the idea. Psychologists point to the proportional theory, years feel shorter as we get older because they're a smaller chunk of our total life [1]. Neuroscience adds that in states like REM sleep, the brain's time sense unravels, letting minutes expand into epics [2].

High-stress moments can slow time too, think adrenaline making a crisis unfold in slow motion. Or the opposite happens in flow states, where you're so absorbed that hours vanish. Philosophers say we live in the eternal present; the past is just memory, the future imagination. How quick is the present converted into the past and becomes a memory? A second, a millisecond, its a conundrum that seems to allude calculation. Time marks out a rate of change in that infinite present. Is it just a mental tool we use to structure our days? A psychological and academic construct. We don't ponder it much when young, but as mortality looms, it weighs heavier.

A Brief Look at the History Time

Long before there were calendars or clocks, people observed the patterns in nature, things like the rising and setting of the Sun, the waxing and waning of the Moon, the seasons that returned again and again. From these cycles came our concepts of the day, the month, and the year. A day came from the Earth’s rotation, a month from the Moon’s journey around us, and a year from our orbit around the Sun. Early evidence from scratched bones in Africa to stone circles like Stonehenge all show how carefully people kept track of these cycles and patterns as a way to know when to hunt or when to sow seeds. It wasn't until much later, the idea of the seven-day week first appeared in Babylon and was tied to the Sun, the Moon, and the five visible planets. In fact that’s how we ended up with Tuesday linked to Mars (martes in Spanish), Wednesday to Mercury, Thursday to Jupiter, Friday to Venus, Saturday to Saturn, and Sunday, of course, to the Sun. These names are little reminders of how much the sky shaped daily life. Over centuries, different cultures refined their own calendars, from the Egyptians with their solar year to the Romans with their Julian reform and the Gregorian calendar can be found in use today. The Greeks had a name for the unstoppable current of time, Chronos, the personification of time. What has all this to do with aviation and aerospace, well a lot it turns out. A whole lot. Patience, I will get that part very soon. 

Perception of Time During Flight Emergencies

It's worth taking a moment here to explore how our bodies chemically alter our sense of the clock. Hormones like adrenaline and cortisol play significant roles, especially in high-stakes situations that aviators know all too well like in operational emergencies. We all know how cognitive bandwidth is vital when needed in safety imperative situations. Adrenaline, released during the fight-or-flight response, can dramatically slow our perception of time. In emergencies, this hormone floods the system, sharpening senses and boosting neural firing rates. A study by neuroscientist David Eagleman looked at how volunteers in a free-fall experiment perceived time as elongated during the scare, as if the world moved in slow motion [8]. This phenomenon, called tachypsychia, arises because the brain processes more information per second under duress, creating the illusion of extended duration [9]. Why? Evolutionarily, it buys us precious moments to react—spotting a threat, dodging danger, or making a split-second decision. It can be the difference between the startle effect and the hyper focus of an experienced well trained aviator. 

Cortisol, the stress hormone, has a slightly more nuanced effect. In acute bursts, it can heighten focus and distort time similarly to adrenaline, making seconds feel like minutes [10]. However, chronic elevation—from ongoing stress like irregular flight schedules can warp time in the opposite way, accelerating it and leading to feelings of time poverty [11]. Studies show that high cortisol levels impair memory and attention, compressing our sense of passing hours into a blur [12]. For example, research on shift workers (a group that includes many pilots and aircrew flight attendants) links sustained cortisol spikes to distorted temporal judgments, where days merge indistinctly [13].

Time Dilation and Overwhelm

Other hormones chime in too. Noradrenaline, often released alongside adrenaline, enhances arousal and can stretch time perception by ramping up the brain's processing speed. In lab settings, subjects exposed to stressors report intervals as longer than they are, a finding replicated in medical emergencies where responders feel time dilates [14]. This hormonal cocktail explains why a routine flight can feel endless during turbulence, yet a genuine crisis might unfold in hyper-detailed slow-mo.

Time in Crisis not Crisis Time

During emergencies like an engine failure, or in the case of bird strikes, for a well-trained pilot, time might slow, this natural mechanism can be useful in allowing calm assessment of checklists, radio calls, and maneuvers. This hyperfocus stems from the autonomic nervous system kicking into gear, channeling adrenaline to heighten awareness without overwhelming the mind [15]. Studies on emergency responders, including paramedics and pilots in simulations, show that composed individuals experience beneficial time dilation, more "mental seconds" to act decisively [16][17]. This was acutely demonstrated by the flight crews in the front and the back of the US Airways flight on the Miracle on the Hudson. I recall it well because I flew out of LaGuardia that very same morning just prior to that incident. Mind you, there are many less publicized and equally impressive feats of impressive competence in emergencies in aviation all around the world. 

Contrast that with panic. When fear overrides training, the same hormones can backfire. Overwhelmed by adrenaline, the amygdala hijacks rational thought, causing time to feel compressed or chaotic—leading to rushed errors or frozen indecision [18]. Research on out-of-hospital cardiac arrests highlights this, stressed teams misjudge elapsed time, delaying critical interventions like epinephrine administration [19]. In aviation terms, think of the difference between a Sully Sullenberger, who methodically ditched that aforementioned US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson, and less prepared crews who falter under pressure in a startled state of confusion.

This makes a strong case for rigorous training. Simulator sessions build muscle memory, teaching the mind to harness autonomic responses rather than succumb to them. Calm composure can be cultivated through techniques like breathing exercises or visualization and increase the odds of turning potential panic into productive hyperfocus, gaining those valuable seconds. Programs like Crew Resource Management (CRM) emphasize this, reducing errors by fostering mental resilience [20].

Aviation's Relationship with Time

For those of us fortunate to work in the aviation industry, on-time performance is uppermost in our minds. Flight durations, departure slots, delays all revolve around the clock. Time and aviation are inextricably linked, from the formation teams in aviation, to the military pilot's looking at time to target, to supersonic travel like the era of the Concorde which took passengers from London to New York so fast that they landed earlier than the local time at takeoff, due to speed and time zones. Think of crossing the International Date Line where when you fly east from Asia to the Americas, and you skip a day forward; westbound, you gain one, repeating a date. It's like time travel in way, great fun. Aviators operate in different time zones on any given duty roster. A single trip might cross half a dozen, leaving your body clock in disarray. Jet lag affects you as your circadian rhythms, tied to light and hormones, clashing with the outside world [4]. Crews have to manage this weekly, using tricks like timed naps or melatonin to realign. Passengers feel it too, arriving disoriented, their internal timers stuck in departure mode.

Then there's speed's role. Relativity kicks in: the faster you go, the slower time passes relative to the ground. Concorde pilots might have aged a fraction of a second less over a career due to velocity [3]. It's tiny, but real—proven by experiments flying atomic clocks on jets.

Today's ultra-long hauls push limits even further. For example, the world's longest commercial nonstop flight, Singapore Airlines' nonstop from Singapore to New York, spans about 9,537 miles and can take up to 18 hours and 50 minutes. These operations highlight time's relativity too, and what feels eternal in a cramped seat might blur into nothing once you're home. Modern examples also include Qantas' Project Sunrise flights, testing 19+ hour nonstops from Sydney to London, with research into cabin lighting and meal timing to mitigate time-warping jet lag [21]. For frequent flyers, these journeys underscore how aviation compresses global distances but stretches personal timelines.

The Great Equalizer, Time Equality

Seneca said, "It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it" [5]. Time underscores mortality, especially as we age. A while ago I took a walk through Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery and the concept of time struck me like lightening. Tombstones etched "In Loving Memory" everywhere. All those lives, individuals from centuries past. Its seems that we are forgotten almost entirely within a couple of generations. So what about this thing memory and its relation to time. Memories aren't fixed; they morph each time we revisit them [7]. Every experience instantly becomes memory, a second ago, an hour, a lifetime. It can feel illusory, yet moments like locking eyes with a loved one or your child make time stand still, profound and real.

Time levels us all. The great equalizer. 24 hours a day for everyone, no matter who you are, no exceptions. Billionaires can't buy extra hours in the day, not even an extra minute, and the poor get the same allotment. It's our most valuable asset, yet we undervalue it by selling hours for wages or wasting them on distractions. 

In some societies, time is cyclical, not linear, affecting how delays are perceived. For travelers, a layover in Tokyo might feel rushed, while in a Mediterranean airport, it stretches leisurely. This cultural relativity adds another layer to aviation's time tango [22].

How Aviators can Enjoy Time

So, how do we make the most of this fleeting resource? Philosophers and science offer guidance, especially relevant for aviators balancing high-pressure shifts with downtime. Stoic thinkers like Marcus Aurelius urged living in the present, "The present is all we have to live in. Or to lose" [23]. Seneca, already quoted, advised treating each day as a mini-life, focusing on quality over quantity. I would take this a bit further, by asking the question what if each flight was a life Take off birth of a new cycle each time. Eahc flight unique a lifecycle of its own. Each phase drawing a parallel with phases of life, and even with the vibrations of waves pattern of peaks and troughs. Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh talked about his "24-hour rule", whereby we approach each day as a separate life, smiling upon waking to embrace it fully [24]. This mindfulness—rooted in Eastern philosophy—helps shift from survival mode to appreciation. It can lead to graceful and grateful living. Gratitude for each day or lifecycle Renewal, refreshed opportunities everyday. More time to make that change. 

Mind Your Time

Mindfulness meditation lengthens perceived time by drawing attention to the now, countering age-related compression [25][26]. Studies show meditators report durations as longer, feeling more "time affluent" [27]. For crews, brief sessions during layovers can reset jet-lagged minds.

Exercise plays a key role too. Physical activity slows time perception during the act—runners or cyclists often feel workouts drag, as heightened bodily awareness stretches seconds [28][29]. Post-exercise, it enhances mood, making subsequent time feel fuller. A 2024 study found exercisers perceive time as slower, even without competition [30]. For travelers, a hotel gym session or airport walk can transform a delay into enjoyable "found time." Every challenge has an equal and opposite opportunity. The power of novelty, and trying or bidding for new routes or chances to experience new cultures, expands time by creating dense memories [31]. Gratitude practices, per positive psychology, amplify enjoyment [32]. In aviation, this means savoring a smooth landing or cockpit sunrise or sunset, turning routine into rituals of grace and gratitude.

What if each Day, each Flight where a Life? 

Here I nudge you to reflect on time and your relationship with it. And if you can take away a concept from this article, ask yourself this, to help you savor every moment of your work and life. Ask yourself, what if today was a lifetime? what if a flight was a lifetime? Maybe the answer will come to you as you reflect on all this, and may you find the answer that brings you the time of your life. The answer just might help you treat the people, and ways you spend your life with

Hope this article brought you some insights on how you spend your time. Think of that word "spend", what do you spend, but something of value, a resource, a precious resource of which is finite, because in the bank account of your life, one thing is sure, you have only so much to spend in this flight of life, share it with the people who matter and on the things that matter. Spend your time wisely—after all, time flies when you're flying. 

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