Page 23 - March 2015 Volume 19 Number 3

Even if you are, or have been at one time or another, your air-carrier experience does not fully prepare you for the workload of single- pilot operations in a less-capable airplane. You almost certainly do not get the level of initial and recurrent training in light airplane single- pilot operations that an airline pilot routinely receives. You won’t be able to do everything that you could do as part of a jet airliner crew. This is doubly true if you are a retired airline pilot, because like it or not, age takes its toll on endurance, reaction time and cognitive ability. Honestly assess your abilities and accept the constructive criticism of others. Learn your strengths, your “opportunities for improvement,” and the skills and attitudes necessary to achieve a safety record on par with your airline counterparts.
Know and evaluate the environ- ment. By far, the most common reason for airline delays is adverse weather. Your airplane is less capable
to handle adverse weather than an air carrier airplane. Consequently, you will need to delay, divert or cancel flights more frequently than the airlines. I flew Beech Barons 250-300 hours a year for several years in the U.S. Southeast, and I routinely diverted around weather, landed at an alternate to sit out the weather, missed approaches “for real,” parked myself in holding patterns for showers to move on or fog to finish clearing, and canceled a trip and drove a rental car home because of long-lasting weather hazards. It’s not “if”, it’s “when.” The more you fly, the more you’ll delay, re-route or cancel because of the weather.
Fulfill your roles. You are pilot- in-command – the Captain of your aircraft. You are also Dispatcher and the Director of Maintenance. And, you are the aviation medical examiner, responsible for self- certification before and during flight. Plan each flight consciously thinking about the responsibility of
all four of these roles. Flying a cross- country IFR aircraft is a profession, whether it’s your compensated profession or not. It requires the time and study and practice of a second, professional job.
So, promote yourself to captain,
from the time you begin flight
planning through the after-shutdown
postflight chores. Make your
decisions so you uphold the motto
of the Airline Pilots Association:
“Schedule, with safety.” Act like
the leader of a professional flight
crew, the captain of your personal
airliner...because as far as your
associates know, you are. T&T •
passengers, family and business
MARCH 2015
•TWIN & TURBINE • • •
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