An SOP for GA? Seriously?

Over the last few months, weve run a series of articles to guide you towards your own personal SOP. The final article of that series is in this issue. But, youd be wise to ask if you really need an SOP for general aviation flying. After all, do you really want to further complicate the process of flying a small plane in IFR? Do you really want to fly, Just like the airline pilots? Part 91 doesnt have that thick book of requirements that impedes (guides?) the pros. Do you really want to trade the liberation and fun of GA flying for that kind of strict regimentation?

Frank Bowlin

Monday, April 10, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The article questions whether general aviation (GA) pilots truly need a formal Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), contrasting it with the perceived freedom of GA versus the regimentation of professional flying.
It identifies two types of GA pilots: those who are safe and effective with ad-hoc decision-making, and those who might benefit from the structure, pre-made decisions, and personal limitations an SOP offers.
The author, while not having a codified SOP, admits to using a comprehensive "unwritten list" of personal procedures, checklists, and limitations, highlighting that some form of structured guidelines is valuable for safe flying.

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Over the last few months, we’ve run a series of articles to guide you towards your own personal SOP. The final article of that series is in this issue. But, you’d be wise to ask if you really need an SOP for general aviation flying.

After all, do you really want to further complicate the process of flying a small plane in IFR? Do you really want to fly, “Just like the airline pilots”? Part 91 doesn’t have that thick book of requirements that impedes (guides?) the pros. Do you really want to trade the liberation and fun of GA flying for that kind of strict regimentation?