When I was a child there was an apple tree in our front yard. It was a joy. In the summertime you could walk up to that tree, shake it and feast on those delicious loose apples that were just about ready to fall to the ground on their own but hadn’t yet. Sometimes, if you were lucky, you could catch them in midair. For whatever reason, this sunny thought stayed with me. Now, years later, I use the analogy to provide an image to help my students consider the vigor required in thinking deeply through each waypoint on an IFR flight.
The Finer Points: Catching Mistakes on IFR Flights
Key Takeaways:
- IFR pilots must proactively "think ahead" of the aircraft, deeply analyzing each upcoming event to identify and rectify potential errors before they occur.
- A systematic mental tool, such as applying the "Five T's" (TURN, TIME, TWIST, THROTTLE, TALK) to each waypoint, aids in this deep, pre-emptive thought process.
- Merely reacting at the moment or failing to think deeply enough can lead to critical mistakes, as illustrated by a training flight where a missed autopilot button resulted in a missed approach.
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