AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2024 - 18

SAFETY SPOTLIGHT
By the book
No matter the mission, planning is key
BY MIKE GINTER / Senior Vice President,
AOPA Air Safety Institute
THE MOST FUN we have in GA is when we are " on a mission. "
Whether it's a short hop to a pancake breakfast, across the country
to an interesting destination, exploring some new and distant
airport, or perhaps something more complex like a formation
flight or big flyover, accomplishing a mission adds the perfect
exclamation point to successfully exercising our pilot privileges.
No matter the mission you are about to undertake, planning
is key. Is the airplane ready? What's the weather? Are there any
temporary flight restrictions? Any passengers needing special
attention (e.g., first timers)? Any special equipment required for
overwater or mountain flying? What are the qualifications and
proficiency levels for your formation wingmen? Any waivers or
exemptions needed from the FAA before you tackle this mission?
There are so many details to consider, but the level of anticipation
is high, and you're about to fly with an actual purpose.
The nexus between mission accomplishment and safety exists
in every flight we take. Execute the mission successfully, and you
live to fly another day. Fail to execute the mission properly, and
we may be reading about another pilot who lost their life. This
nexus was on full display as I watched my wife perform her first
solo flight in early July.
After about 25 hours of dual instruction, she was ready for the
big day. As soon as her instructor exited the aircraft, the pace of aircraft
movement on the ground seemed to slow. She delayed before
releasing brakes to complete the ForeFlight startup and taxi checklist
on her iPad. She methodically stopped the aircraft at the hold
short and dedicated an extra minute or two to the takeoff checklist
before she crossed the hold short line. After clearing the runway
on each of her three trips around the pattern, she dutifully stopped
the aircraft, ensuring all parts of the aircraft were clear of the hold
short markings, and completed the " after landing " checklist.
As I watched from the ramp, I wondered if this disciplined use
of checklists was a bit of overkill. Most of us have memorized the
action steps of the normal procedures checklist for every phase of
flight-that comes naturally with hundreds or thousands of hours
of experience. Most of us have committed to muscle memory the
basic steps of setting carb heat, flaps, power, and mixture, for
example, at the appropriate time on downwind. But her instructor
insisted on this disciplined approach to completing every checklist
18
AOPA PILOT / September 2024
item at the required time, and the ForeFlight app provided an easyto-use
method to ensure each step was checked off. The result
was a successful first solo experience, with an elated student pilot
exiting an airworthy aircraft.
Would this mission have been successfully completed without
the disciplined use of so many checklists? Probably. But by taking
her time and diligently following the checklist, she reduced the
chances of slip-ups and could dedicate her focus to her milestone
flight. Does strict use of checklists guarantee successful mission
accomplishment? Definitely not, but it helps. It began to bother
me how differently I approach the use of checklists when I fly.
Granted it was her first solo flight and I have more than 5,000
hours in several aircraft types accumulated over the past 45 years,
but the first time I actually refer to the laminated checklist these
days is right before I cross the hold short on every flight. I review
every step to ensure I've completed it-and on occasion I find a
step I overlooked-but that's it. As a young Embry-Riddle flight
student, use of checklists was driven into our cockpit discipline
on every training flight, so it became second nature. That was a
long time ago. Have I lost my disciplined edge in the cockpit? Am
I getting a bit too relaxed?
As I reflected on what I had observed earlier that day, I realized
that her use of checklists-and more importantly her instructor's
insistence for such use-were perfectly suited to her as a student
pilot. She didn't miss a single step, had checked everything that
needed checking, and successfully controlled the aircraft for three
uneventful trips around the pattern. The result was a bit slower
pace on the ground and in the air, but that's probably a good thing
in this early phase of training. Good on her for using the checklists
that day. I am confident she will continue to use the checklists
and that their use will become more fluid and less interruptive to
movement on the ground.
Funny thing was, as I was about to taxi out on my flight the next
day, I pulled out the checklist and started reviewing everything.
Watching my wife complete her first
solo the day prior had the unintended
effect of changing my own habit
pattern-probably for the better!
mike.ginter@aopa.org
MIKE GINTER spent
27 years in the U.S.
Navy, retiring with the
rank of captain.
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2024
