Introduction
My heart sinking into my chest, I scribbled down seven digits on a kneeboard containing ATC clearances, weather reports, and an IFR cancellation reminder, pondering whether I should continue flying. Embarrassing airmanship landed me on an unfortunate phone date with Air Traffic Control's finest to discuss the discrepancies of my aviation fiasco. This brahser notification from ATC was not the end of my young aviation career but rather a crucial turning point that taught me some valuable lessons.
This article will discuss five characteristics every safe pilot must have.
Topics
What can we do to prevent us from losing situation awareness?
Why do pilots make bad decisions?
How can I apply CRM even when flying Solo?
What tools can I use to help me make a Go or No-Go decision?
Besides my flight review, how can I stay proficient?
Situational Awareness
“Situation awareness is the perception of elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their status in the near future.”
At one point, we’ve all lost situational awareness, causing us to fall behind the airplane and put ourselves in an unsafe situation. The flight deck can quickly become busy during critical phases of flight, and it is essential to combat that by prioritizing tasks that pilots must do.
Ding! Your annunciator illuminates right after take-off. A few moments later, you get a traffic alert right at the same altitude as you.
How are you going to handle this busy cockpit now?
Aviate, Navigate, Communicate
In that order, you’ll always be able to accomplish the most important tasks in the airplane. This will help you maintain positive aircraft control. Since multitasking is impossible, this small three-word phrase will help you stay on track and catch up during a busy flying environment.
Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM)
Closely tied to situational awareness, Chapter Two of the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHACK) defines ADM as “ A systematic approach to the mental process used by pilots to consistently determine the best course of action in response to a given set of circumstances.
It seems evident to us that we always want to make good decisions, but why don’t we?
Studies show that 60-80% of all flying accidents are human factor-related, primarily because we lack a healthy ADM process. To understand the ADM process as pilots, we must know how we make decisions and manage risk.
This is how we think through problems.
[Risk Management Decision-Making Process]
This flow gives us an understanding of how we apply our ADM skills and make decisions.
Let’s break it down into a scenario following the risk management model.
Identify Hazards
The weather for our flight is showing MVFR conditions for our ETA
Assess the Risks
I’m not instrument-rated
Analyze Controls
I could delay the flight until conditions improve.
Do I have a suitable alternate airport with better weather?
Could I take a CFII with me?
Make Control Decision
No, I need to get there now. Let me call my flight instructor, who is a CFII, and see if he is available.
Use Controls
We file and fly an instrument flight plan to the airport.
Monitor Results
We arrived at the airport on an instrument approach reporting 1000’ OVC ceilings.
We were happy we flew with a CFII.
We must often remember to analyze controls and apply them to our flights. This requires critical thinking and experience, but pilots who work through the Risk Management Process effectively are safe.
Crew Resource Management (CRM)
In 1981, United Airlines was the first to begin training pilots on CRM. This change in cockpit culture initially faced some backlash, but today, it has been proven to have prevented many aviation accidents.
CRM is a tool we can use to keep us safe. This concept is extensive, but know you are not alone when flying. CRM doesn't always take two pilots to perform. It can be done in a solo environment, too!
CRM Tools
ATC
Electronic Flight Bag
Ramp personnel
Crew Members (All of Them)
Passengers
If used correctly, these tools can help you in a sticky situation.
The best pilots I’ve seen are not necessarily the most knowledgeable or have elite stick and rudder skills. They effectively work through problems by using all the tools available to them. Safe pilots use all available resources.
Personal Minimums
Setting personal minimums can deter people from flying, but it is an excellent way to stay safe. We set personal minimums to prevent ourselves from being uncomfortable, another step of a good risk mitigation process. A personal minimums list will help you make that go or no-go decision.
But what minimums should I set? This FAA-provided supplement helps us create our personal minimums.
[ FAA Personal Minimums Worksheet ]
We are certainly not limited to the material on this sheet; however, it is an excellent place to start. As you gain more experience, you can lower your minimums. Evaluate this checklist occasionally; if done right, you can recall your minimums by memory and decrease them as you gain more experience.
Continual Education
The minimum requirement to keep flying is to undergo a Bi-Annual Flight Review (BFR) every 24 calendar months. While this keeps us legal, more is needed to stay proficient because the two differ. Every pilot should challenge themselves to keep learning and improve their knowledge and proficiency.
Continual Education Tools
New Certificate or Rating
Fly a new airplane
These three tools are just a few ways we can continuously grow. As we grow, we become safer by default. I can not tell you how much knowledge I gained from attending Free FAA seminars!
Summary
Fortunately for me, my accidental entrance into class Bravo airspace was just a phone call with ATC and nothing further.
ATC: “Don’t do that ever again.”
Me: “ Yes, Sir.”
ATC: Hangs up the Phone
Eight years ago, I never thought it could happen to me, but at 18 years old and 100 hours, it did. Mistakes will happen when flying, but we must handle them professionally and apply the lessons they teach us.
Being a safe pilot is a challenging and systematic process that requires experience, but with these five tools, anyone can achieve it.
Blue Skies and Tailwinds
References
Atchley, Paul. “You Can't Multitask, So Stop Trying.”
“The Evolution of Crew Resource Management Training in Commercial Aviation.”
“Human Error and Commercial Aviation Accidents.” 2006.
“Office of Aerospace Medicine Washington.” 2002.
Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Federal Aviation Administration.
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