Ten Commandments for Safe
Flight
Author Unknown
1. Thou shalt abstain from the intersection takeoff for, verily, the runway
behind thee, as the altitude above thee, cometh not to thine aid when thou
needest them.
2. Thou shalt not linger on active runways lest thou become like unto ground
sirloin.
3. Ignorest thou not thy checklists for many are the switches, handles,
gauges and other demons awaiting to take cruel vengeance upon thee.
4. Thou shalt cast thine eyes to thy right and also to thy left as thou
passeth through the firmament lest thy fellow pilots bring flowers to thy
widow and comfort her in other ways.
5. Buzzeth not, for this shall surely incur the wrath of thy neighbors and
the fury of the FAA shall be called down upon thy head.
6. Thou shalt be ever mindful of thy fuel lest there be nothing in thy tank
to sustain thee upon the air and thy days be made short.
7. Trust not thine eyes to lead thee through the cloud lest the Archangel
Gabriel await thee therein.
8. Thou shalt not trespass into the thunderstorm lest the tempest rend the
wings from thy chariot and cast thee naked into the firmament.
9. Put not thy trust in weather prophets, for when the truth is not in, then
they shall not accompany thee among thy ancestors.
10. Often shalt thou confirm thine airspeed on final lest the earth rise up
and smite thee.
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Characteristics of
Successful Pilots
by Darren Smith, CFII/MEI
from Getting the Most from Your Flight Training
from PocketLearning, September 2004
So what is the magic ingredient that makes successful pilots? What is the
special "stuff" that pilots need in order to make it. In one word:
character. I'll share with you the characteristics of successful
pilots. Either it will guide you in terms of new insights or you will
recognize these traits in other pilots you know.
1. Pilot in Command Authority. Successful pilots know when it comes
time to take command, they do it. Without hesitation, the work gets done.
They recognize that there is no one else to do it, and everything rests on
their shoulders. They don't shrink to the task but rise up to meet it and
accomplish the requirement. We're not talking about the arrogance all too
common among pilots but confidence in their skills. The pilot is the
ultimate command authority for the flight... the one responsible for the
safe conduct of that flight. If anything goes wrong, passengers look to the
pilot who must step up to the plate and take responsibility. They have a
presence when necessary and are willing to disappear from the spotlight when
not needed.
2. Meaningful Self-Evaluation. Successful pilots don't wallow in self
pity when something doesn't go according to plan. They don't make excuses
for performance, rather, they analyse the weaknesses objectively and seek
out a resolution that meets the requirements of the problem. Successful
pilots are the ultimate judge of their own performance, accepting
responsibility for their setbacks and asking for help to improve their
skills while not being too self-critical.
3. Respect. Successful pilots respect others. Not just others but
they respect the regulations, procedures and process of flight. They never
engage in unsafe behaviors because they respect the equipment they fly and
the passengers and cargo held within. Out of this respect, they properly
manage the risks of a given flight and seek out alternatives should some
unplanned event happen.
4. Recurrent training. Successful pilots don't look at recurrent
training as a hassle but as an opportunity to grow and learn. I recently
flew with a 40,000 hour pilot who came to me for a BFR. He believed he only
needed to show me 3 trips around the pattern. In the process, he committed a
runway incursion violation and lacked situational awareness throughout the
short flight. When the short flight was complete and I debriefed the pilot
he was offended that his BFR was unsuccessful. I should have recognized the
BFR would be unsuccessful when this 40,000 hour pilot told me prior to the
flight, he didn't understand why these flight reviews were required for
pilots as experienced as he. Successful pilots are partners in learning, a
self-motivated professional which craves knowledge about aviation.
5. Humility. I am a firm believer in being able to learn from others
even as an instructor. My students often have an opportunity to keep me
humble. I look forward to flights with other instructors as I always pick up
new techniques. Successful pilots are always seeking the better, safer, more
efficient way to accomplish their tasks and are always willing to examine an
alternate viewpoint or method.
6. Determination. Experience grows a pilot's skill. Rough experiences
grow a pilot's wisdom. Don't let the small things like a rough landing or
minor scrape stop your progress. Use the experience to grow your wisdom and
resolve to improve your skills with remedial training.
7. Planning. Successful pilots are always running the Plan - Do -
Check - Analyze cycle in their work. Successful pilots plan their flight
completely before execution. During the flight, successful pilots check to
be sure they are within performance parameters predicted for the flight. If
not, they later analyze the performance and feed the results back into
re-planning for the flight. After completing a flight, successful pilots
analyse their performance to look for areas of improvement.
8. Precision. Successful pilots do more than what's good enough. They
strive for precision in their efforts... on heading, on altitude, and proper
airspeed. It's not enough to be on target because successful pilots can
predict what will happen next and respond accordingly.
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Dangerous
pilot tendencies or behaviour patterns that often set the stage for tragedy
The table below list twelve (12) dangerous pilot tendencies or
behaviour patterns that often set the stage for tragedy. The
sad thing is that we often are unaware that we are under the
influence of these behaviour patterns.
Cut and paste the below table somewhere on your instrument panel or
on your knee board. Review each listed behaviour pattern
before commencing any flight. Be objective. Ask yourself
if you are being influenced by any of these behaviour patterns.
If you are, STOP! Analyze your situation. Think through
what you are about to do and WHY.
Ask yourself, is it worth the risk? If not, alter your
behaviour in accordance with more sensible thinking. Do what
you need to do to correct whatever dangerous behaviour pattern(s) is
influencing your flight. The sooner you do this, the better
your chances for a safe and pleasant flight.
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Peer Pressure |
Poor decision
making based upon emotional response to peers rather than evaluating a
situation objectively. |
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Mind Set |
The inability to
recognize and cope with changes in the situation different from
those anticipated or planned. |
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Get-There-Itis |
This tendency,
common among pilots, clouds the vision and impairs judgment by
causing a fixation on the original goal or destination combined with
a total disregard for any alternative course of action. |
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Duck-Under
Syndrome |
The tendency to
sneak a peek by descending below minimums during an approach.
Based on a belief that there is always a built-in "fudge" factor
that can be used or on an unwillingness to admit defeat and shoot a
missed approach. |
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Scud Running |
Pushing the
capabilities of the pilot and the aircraft to the limits by trying
to maintain visual contact with the terrain while trying to avoid
physical contact with it. This attitude is characterized by the old
pilot's joke: "If it's too bad to go IFR, we'll go VFR." |
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VFR into IMC
Conditions |
Continuing visual
flight rules (VFR) into instrument conditions often leads to spatial
disorientation or collision with ground/obstacles. It is even
more dangerous if the pilot is not instrument qualified or current. |
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Getting Behind
the Aircraft |
Allowing events
or the situation to control your actions rather than the other way
around. Characterized by a constant state of surprise at what
happens next. |
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Loss of
Positional or Situation Awareness |
Another case of
getting behind the aircraft which results in not knowing where you
are, an inability to recognize deteriorating circumstances, and/or
the misjudgment of the rate of deterioration. |
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Operating Without
Adequate Fuel Reserves |
Ignoring
minimum fuel reserve requirements, either VFR or Instrument
Flight Rules (IFR), is generally the result of overconfidence, lack
of flight planning, or ignoring the regulations. |
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Descent Below the
Minimum Enroute Altitude |
The duck-under
syndrome (mentioned above) manifesting itself during the en route
portion of an IFR flight. |
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Flying Outside
the Envelope |
Unjustified
reliance on the (usually mistaken) belief that the aircraft's high
performance capability meets the demands imposed by the pilot's
(usually overestimated) flying skills. |
Neglect of Flight
Planning, Preflight Inspections,
Checklists, Etc. |
Unjustified
reliance on the pilot's short and long term memory, regular flying
skills, repetitive and familiar routes, etc. |
