Airmanship: Legal VS. Safe

I hope it wont come as a shock to learn magazine editors dont always practice what they preach. Kind of like fat-cat politicians urging austerity for the proletariat, we arent always as prolific in our flying as we may seem, or as we encourage others. In fact, over the last couple of years, competing and conflicting priorities conspired to keep me and my airplane on the ground much more than was good for either of us.

Editorial Staff

Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Chinese and international airlines are canceling cargo and passenger flights at airports such as Shanghai Pudong International because of COVID. wikimediaimages/Pixabay

Key Takeaways:

The article highlights the critical distinction between being legally compliant (e.g., having a valid rating or check) and being genuinely proficient and safe, especially after periods of reduced flying activity.
The author actively sought to rebuild instrument flying proficiency, utilizing both flight simulators and instructor-led flights to refresh and sharpen skills that had atrophied.
Despite holding a multi-engine rating for decades, the author undertook extensive training and practice in a twin-engine aircraft to gain real comfort and confidence, well beyond the minimum legal requirements.
The overarching takeaway is the importance for pilots to acknowledge their limitations, continuously practice, and strive for a level of skill and confidence that significantly exceeds regulatory minimums to ensure true operational safety.

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I hope it won’t come as a shock to learn magazine editors don’t always practice what they preach. Kind of like fat-cat politicians urging austerity for the proletariat, we aren’t always as prolific in our flying as we may seem, or as we encourage others. In fact, over the last couple of years, competing and conflicting priorities conspired to keep me and my airplane on the ground much more than was good for either of us. I recently decided to fix that, and came away with some observations that long-time pilots may have forgotten, and some newbies may hear for the first time.