Decisions, Decisions

Tuesday, March 02, 2021 at 12:25 PM ET

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Retired Army Lt. Col. Lott Lawson inspects a Cessna 172 aircraft March 29 Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq. He is a site manager for the maintainence of Iraqi air force aircraft. As coalition forces continue reaching benchmarks to rebuild the Iraqi air force, this former U.S. Army helicopter has helped foreign pilots earn their wings throughout his military and civilian career during training programs in Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Eric Schloeffel)

Key Takeaways:

Aging pilots, despite increased wisdom from experience, may face challenges with critical decision-making in the cockpit.
The AOPA suggests enhanced preflight and contingency planning, including a realistic Plan B, to address potential decision-making difficulties.
Further remedies include thorough weather briefings, flexible scheduling to avoid pressure, being realistic about one's skills, and flying when well-rested.

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The AOPA has amassed a wealth of material on how pilots change as we grow older. Among other challenges aging pilots may face, decision-making skills may not be what they once were, and a brief section on decision-making caught our eye. As AOPA notes, “You have grown older and gotten wiser through experience. However, aging can make it more difficult to handle the kinds of decisions that sometimes have to be made in the cockpit.” Remedies AOPA suggests are worth exploring include:

• Spending more time doing preflight and contingency planning;

• Have a realistic Plan B and be prepared to use it;

• Get a thorough weather briefing and double-check Notams;

• Be flexible in scheduling to combat pressure to “get there”;

• Be realistic about your skills and proficiency; and

• Fly when rested.