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increasingly omitted in the era of in- ternet weather products). If another pilot is aboard, discussing weather, ter- rain, unusual approaches, or any other threat is a vital part of the briefing process. Non-pilot passengers almost always appreciate a pre-flight briefing as well. And though you may not want to dwell on risks per se, you can still work them in (“it’ll be a beautiful de- parture surrounded by the mountains in this box canyon”).
Flying involves a baseline of risk. An issue discovered in the air occasion- ally calls for an innovative response, but it is almost always better to focus on established solutions (generally in the form of an approved checklist). It is important to remember that many threats produce follow-on threats. Fixation produces errors. You cannot think yourself out of an emergency. Run the appropriate abnormal pro- cedure, communicate unambiguously with ATC, and get the aircraft on the ground. An unremarkable decision made decisively is better than a bout of brilliance made after much delay.
An average decision clearly communi- cated is superior to genius in silence. When faced with a threat, the best mitigation strategy is to follow estab- lished procedures and move on.
Most of the major issues that a pilot confronts while in command have already been codified by regulations and aircraft-specific procedures. It is not always necessary to consult the books when “correcting the obvious,” but these documents remain the most trustworthy resource available when troubleshooting more complex issues. Remember, in aviation, you cannot eliminate every threat or error. You can only manage them.
CIES
http://ciescorp.net
Stan Dunn has 8,000-plus hours in turbine-powered aircraft, with three years of experience as an instructor and evaluator for airline pilots. Stan publishes detailed coverage of aviation accidents at bellmanmultimedia.com/ flying. You can contact Stan at Stan@ bellmanmultimedia.com.
Yingling Aviation
http:/yinglingaviation.com
May 2022 / TWIN & TURBINE • 11