Flight Training - June 2024 - 52

ADVANCED PILOT CAREER PILOT
A pilot's ability to positively influence
'HOW YOU MAKE THEM FEEL'
FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE OF EMPATHY AND FIRMNESS
BY DAVE HIRSCHMAN
AS AIRPLANES GET MORE AUTOMATED,
the differences in how pilots fly them
shrink. Send two Pilatus PC-12s, or two
Cessna Citations, or two Gulfstreams
on the same route on the same day
and their flight profiles are likely to
be nearly identical. Climb, cruise, and
descent are almost always done on
autopilot, and speeds, power settings,
and fuel consumption will closely match
as each airplane crosses the same preprogrammed
fixes at similar altitudes in
the same amount of time.
So how then can pilots differentiate
themselves? If our equipment and flight
profiles are the same, what constitutes
superior pilot performance?
To me, there are two clear measures:
empathy and firmness.
First, empathy. As Maya Angelou
famously said, " People will forget what
you said, people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you
made them feel. "
General aviation pilots have an
outsized impact on how we make those
around us feel. Passengers entrust us with
their personal safety as well as that of their
loved ones, and we should show them
their trust is well placed.
52 FLIGHT TRAINING JUNE 2024
In addition to being knowledgeable,
proficient, and well prepared, we can take
an active interest in our passengers' comfort
and well-being. Whether we know it
or not, they notice every aspect of a pilot's
appearance, attitude, and disposition, and
they're easy to spook. If they sense a pilot is
annoyed, distracted, or overly tired, they're
likely to be alarmed, even if they don't say
so. If a piston engine doesn't start on the
first attempt, or a pilot curses a delay, or
mutters about an unexpected clearance, or
yawns excessively, it doesn't escape notice.
The upside of all this focused attention
is that a pilot's good deeds are observed and
appreciated. One of the corporate pilots I
fly with takes note of the food and drinks
that passengers consume on the outbound
leg because that's what he stocks on the
return trip. (Last time, that meant Dr.
Pepper, oatmeal cookies, and Pringles.)
Taking a few extra moments to
answer passenger questions before
boarding, during the safety briefing, or in
flight can go a long way toward making
them feel like special guests. Even a small
act such as providing a fleece blanket to a
shorts-wearing passenger in what's going
to be a cool or drafty cabin demonstrates
a pilot cares.
the way those around us feel doesn't stop
with passengers. Fellow pilots, air traffic
controllers, and Uber drivers take cues
from us, and it's within our power to make
them feel better-or not. A corporate pilot
I used to know was infamously short-tempered
and foul-mouthed on the radio. Air
traffic controllers, other pilots, and FBO
employees were regular targets of his radio
wrath. Frequently putting others down on
the frequency ended up getting him fired,
however, when his on-air tantrums finally
went too far.
It's a given that pilots must know their
equipment, meet safety standards, and
be able to handle in-flight emergencies.
But in a world where aircraft flight and
navigational performance varies less and
less, the things that separate the best pilots
become less obvious. How thorough is your
preflight inspection? And how well have
you researched the weather conditions you
may encounter? Preparation is vital under
FAR Part 91 where individual owners and
operators have fewer resources and greater
flexibility than air charter firms or airlines
to make decisions on the fly. And those are
areas that passengers may not understand
or appreciate.
How far do we push takeoff weights?
Landing distances? Or deferred maintenance?
This is where pilot firmness comes
into play.
It's one thing to provide textbook
answers in a classroom. It's another when
the aircraft owner shows up just before
takeoff with extra passengers, and you've
fueled the airplane with the expectation
of a lighter load. That's when doing the
right thing becomes difficult-yet that's
when it matters. Do you fly an approach
even when the weather is reported
below minimums? Are you willing to
duck under decision height and delay
executing the missed approach to catch
a glimpse of the approach lights? Are you
willing to dip into your fuel reserves to
avoid the trouble, expense, and potential
embarrassment of diverting?
Making the right call under duress
won't help you win any popularity
contests. But a pilot's unyielding determination
to hold the line is a virtue.
Success-and longevity-in flying requires
the right balance between empathy toward
those around us and firmness in respecting
operational limitations. Getting it right isn't
easy, but it's never been more necessary. FT
dave.hirschman@aopa.org
PABLO CARACOL
Flight Training - June 2024

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