Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Personal Minimums
IMSAFE
Situational Awareness
SA:
The accurate perception and understanding of all the factors
and conditions within the four fundamental risk elements
(pilot, aircraft, environment, external pressures) that affect
safety before, during, and after the flight.
Some elements of SA
Inside the aircraft—the status of aircraft systems, pilot, and
passengers.
Outside the aircraft—awareness of the environmental
conditions of the flight, such as spatial orientation of the
aircraft and its relationship to terrain, traffic, weather, and
airspace.
CFIT Awareness
What is CFIT?
A situation in which an airworthy aircraft is flown,
under the control of a qualified pilot, into terrain
with inadequate awareness on the part of the pilot
of the impending collision.
CFIT Awareness
What are some causes of CFIT?
Lack of pilot currency.
Loss of situational awareness.
Pilot distractions and breakdown of SRM.
Failure to comply with minimum safe altitudes.
Breakdown in effective aeronautical decision
making.
Insufficient planning especially for the descent and
arrival segments.
CFIT Awareness
How can one avoid CFIT?
Maintain situational awareness at all times.
Adhere to safe takeoff and departure procedures.
Familiarize yourself with surrounding terrain
features and obstacles.
Adhere to published routes and minimum
altitudes.
Fly a stabilized approach.
Understand ATC clearances and instructions.
Don’t become complacent.
ADM
What makes up ADM?
Risk management
situational awareness
single-pilot resource management.
What is the decision making process?
Decision Making
Two models (from the FAA)
3P’s
DECIDE
OODA
Observe
Orient
Decide
Act
Task Management
Definition:
Task management is the process by which pilots manage
the many concurrent tasks that must be performed to safely
and efficiently fly a modern aircraft.
What happens when information flow exceeds a
person’s ability to mentally process and act on
information?
When a pilot becomes task-saturated, there is no
awareness of input from various sources, so
decisions might be made with incomplete
information and the possibility of error increases.
Task Management
What are several options that a pilot
can employ to decrease workload
and avoid becoming overloaded?
Stop, think, slow down, and prioritize.
Tasks such as locating an item on a chart
or setting a radio frequency may be
delegated to another pilot or passenger. An
autopilot, if available, may be used. ATC
may be enlisted to provide assistance.
Common Mistakes of Private Pilots
Unfamiliarity with POH & installed equipment
Especially Audio Panel & GPS
Airplane out of trim
Poor airspeed control / No target airspeeds
“Jockeying” power esp. w/ a constant speed prop
Lack of a defined crosswind procedure—slip or kick
straight method?
Inability to execute either procedure
Fixation with radio calls in the traffic pattern
Setting the horizon bar on the attitude gyro on the
ground
The takeoff checklist says “flight instruments-check”
There are only 2 of them to set—DG & altimeter
VFR goal: Be able to fly the aircraft hands-off during
most flight regimes
Sources
Advisory Circular 60-22,
Aeronautical Decision Making, FAA
Private Pilot Manual, Jeppesen
Weather Flying, Robert Buck
“Common Mistakes,” John Friel