Everyone Should Pay Close Attention in the Cockpit

There are lessons to be learned for GA passengers as well.

Kevin Marshall

Thursday, June 27, 2024 at 09:02 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

Even if you're not a pilot, there's a lot that life-loving riders should learn about flying. [Image: Joel Kimmel]

Key Takeaways:

General aviation passengers should proactively educate themselves to vet both the pilot's competence and the aircraft's airworthiness.
The author learned this lesson through a harrowing flight with an incompetent pilot who demonstrated poor judgment and procedures in challenging conditions.
Another dangerous incident involved an experienced pilot but a recently converted aircraft that suffered a catastrophic electrical system failure, emphasizing the need to vet the plane's maintenance and modification history.
These experiences underscore the critical importance for passengers to avoid universal trust and instead be informed about the specific pilot and aircraft for their own safety.

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I’m no pilot, but I am part of the flying population that likely outnumbers pilots: the GA passenger. And there is a lot that we life-loving riders should learn about flying.

My dad and grandpa’s Cessna 172 Skyhawk XP, with its delightfully itchy sheepskin seats and the “Please step outside to smoke” sign on the dash, introduced me to aviation as a 7-year-old. I would practice ELT searches with my dad, organize Jeppesen charts, and try to read the instruments just like he would.