Adding It All Up

Are we at risk of things that never happen? Can we be hurt by what we don’t know? The answers are “Yes” and “Yes.” From the start of training, one thing our instructors and mentors try to infuse in us is that knowledge is power, but only if we suitably use that knowledge and apply it to the tasks at hand. Conditions—of the weather, to be sure, but also the airplane and facilities we plan to use, as well as our own skills—tend to drive the risk to which we’re exposed. And the more conditions depart from the expected, the greater is the risk of something going wrong.

Key Takeaways:

• The article emphasizes the critical importance of proactive personal risk assessment in aviation, recognizing that dangers stem from both known and unknown factors and often accumulate.
• A comprehensive risk assessment should encompass pilot proficiency and recency, aircraft condition and performance (especially fuel management), and environmental factors like weather and airport conditions across all flight phases.
• Pilots must establish personal go/no-go parameters, continuously re-evaluate conditions, and be prepared to implement alternative plans when multiple risk factors combine, rather than blindly pressing on.

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