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stall/spin. (You may recall this accident was in the news as Todd is the president of customer experience at Cirrus Aircraft.) Thanks to the clear-headed actions of his brother and friends, Todd is alive today. He talks about the mistakes he made with zero ego. It is sobering to listen to his brother tell how they found Todd, performed triage and the eventual rescue. Some excellent lessons for all of us on what emergency equipment we should have on board and on our person – even if you are not back- country flying. The video also brings into sharp relief how quickly a fun day of flying can turn deadly. In the last five minutes, they cover four key takeaways that apply to us and the planes we fly: 1. Are the pilot and the machine both ready for this mission? 2. Do I have recent experience in this airplane and in this environment? (You may have lots of total experience, but nothing replaces RECENT experience). 3. Before engine start-up, slow down, think through critical decision points, and be ready to act. If you do, you’ll most likely make good choices. 4. Train, train, train, especially get stall/spin training – it may save your life. Todd’s friend Jeff Smith had these sobering words: “From the beginning we are taught the stall/spin is a situation we avoid. The training we did is not sufficient to make you understand how violent that event can be if you let it happen. It’s made me think about the quality of my airmanship.” Before the next time you fly – whether single or twin – slow down and think through your action plan. Visualize the steps you’ll take from the moment a failure occurs to the time you land. In addition, what are the potential threats you face on this flight? Weather? Complicated airspace? Fatigue? MMOPA has a free FRAT tool available in the Apple app store that is useful in helping gauge the riskiness of your contemplated flight. While tailored to the PA46, it is useful for a pilot of any aircraft. My daughter, who is in Navy flight training, “chair flies” every flight, mentally reviewing and challenging herself on the emergency memory items. It is a cultural habit within her community that will ensure her head is in the game from engine start to shut-down. It’s a habit that I’m trying to develop as well. Regardless, if you fly a King Air or a Kodiak, do this: plan, prepare and execute every flight with precision, no matter if it’s 30 minutes or 3 hours. Stay hungry for safety. Dianne White is the executive director of MMOPA and editor of MMOPA Magazine. For a total of 14 years, she was editor of Twin & Turbine and has worked in the business aviation industry for nearly 30 years. She also serves on the board of directors for Angel Flight Central. An active multi-engine, instrument-rated pilot, Dianne lives in the Kansas City area and can be reached at editor@dian- newhite.com. Ocean Reef Club September 2019 / TWIN & TURBINE • 5