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Go or No Go?

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Pilots frequently encounter marginal go/no-go decisions concerning weather or mechanical issues, and the article emphasizes making conservative choices, even when tempted to proceed.
  • The author suggests low- and high-time pilots tend to be more conservative, whereas mid-time pilots may be more inclined to push marginal "go" decisions due to mission importance.
  • To overcome personal tendencies to second-guess conservative "no-go" decisions, the author developed a unique strategy: having a beer to make the decision irreversible and prioritize safety.
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Every pilot has been faced with a marginal go/no-go decision. Sometimes it’s marginal weather that, if it gets no worse, is a go. But, if it gets even a little worse, it’d be no-go. And, sometimes it’s a mechanical issue that might not quite rise to the level of being unairworthy. But it could.

For me, there have been times when I wanted to go, was tempted to go, and probably could have gone with no trouble, but being conservative, I didn’t go.

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