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e You Trainby Thomas P. Turneroperations and alternator outages. Go-arounds and missed approaches are anticipated and executed; delays and diversions are part of the plan. When a controller asks “what are your intentions?” we take it as a clue that maybe we missed something and need to double- check or ask for more information. In training, we pessimistically look for the unexpected.Take us out of the training environment, however, and we pilots become wild optimists. We’re “on a mission” to make it to our destination, on schedule. We tend to rationalize away anomalies. Weather is something to master, not to avoid. Outside stresses alter our judgment. We expect things will work out as we expect, and we tend to ignore information that does not fit our preconceptions. Not only do we fail to plan for contingencies, we fail to recognize the need for a plan.Sometimes a little pessimism or, more correctly, some “healthy skepticism,” is what we need to preemptively avoid an accident. Good simulator and flight instructors present realistic decision-making scenarios, precisely so we can develop active minds that consider our options and help us recognize when real-world pressures are about to impinge on our better•judgment. All the time and expense we put into training can be wasted, however, if we do not fly the way we train. T&TThomas P. Turner is an ATP/CFII/MEI, holds a Masters Degree in Aviation Safety, and was the 2010 National FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year. Subscribe to Tom’s free FLYING LESSONS Weekly e-newsletter at www.mastery-flight-training.com.MAY 2014TWIN & TURBINE • 23k