Finding Those Little Moments of Pilot Mastery

Answering the question: How proficient am I?

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 09:00 AM ET

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To gain great satisfaction when you demonstrate pilot mastery and to detect when you need to focus time and effort on education and proficiency, look for 'little moments of mastery' on every flight.[Credit: Leonardo Correa Luna]

Key Takeaways:

The article advocates for "mastery" in flying as a continuous, lifelong pursuit beyond minimum certification standards, re-emphasizing a concept from older FAA guidelines.
Pilots can objectively assess and improve their proficiency by actively seeking "little moments of mastery" during every flight.
These "little moments" include precise execution of tasks like the 70/50 takeoff rule, maintaining altitude within 20 feet, demonstrating keen situational awareness, practicing emergency procedures without looking, and proactive communication with air traffic control.

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The old FAA Practical Test Standards (PTS)—now superseded by the Airman Certification Standards (ACS)—included a statement in its notes to examiners that was the guiding philosophy of whether a candidate performed well enough to pass a practical test: The candidate for a pilot certificate or rating “must demonstrate mastery of the aircraft, with the successful outcome of each task never seriously in doubt.”

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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