Managing Aviation Load

I often verbalize the last item on my preflight checklist just before taxiing onto an active runway and ask, aloud, How could this flight kill me? I run through all the Big Stuff in my mind, mentally ticking off each item that meets the criterion from an imaginary checklist. Its similar to the FAAs PAVE model- Pilot, Aircraft, environment and External pressures-but theres also a factor that doesnt quite fit the acronym: the payload. Call it PAVE-Load, or LPAVE.

Key Takeaways:

• Pilots should expand their pre-flight risk assessment to include "payload" (cargo, passengers, and safety equipment), actively questioning how these elements could pose novel risks for each specific flight.
• Unusual or hazardous cargo requires careful consideration of weight and balance, securement, and potential issues like shifting, leaks, or expansion, necessitating visualization of all flight phases.
• Passengers, as "sentient cargo," warrant special attention to their characteristics, potential for interfering with controls, and abilities for emergency egress.
• The selection of safety and survival equipment must be tailored to the specific flight's terrain and conditions, often requiring careful trade-offs against payload limits.

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