Its said we learn to make good decisions by experience, and that experience results from making bad decisions. The flaw in this plan is that in flying, bad decisions can have awful consequences. How can we learn to make good flying decisions without exposing ourselves and our passengers to undue risk? What are we doing wrong? What are we as an industry doing wrong, that pilots regularly make such poor decisions about safety of flight? After all, as much as 80 percent of all aircraft 288
How Not To Get Experience
Its said we learn to make good decisions by experience, and that experience results from making bad decisions. The flaw in this plan is that in flying, bad decisions can have awful consequences. How can we learn to make good flying decisions without exposing ourselves and our passengers to undue risk? What are we as an industry doing wrong, that pilots regularly make such poor decisions about safety of flight? After all, as much as 80 percent of all aircraft mishaps result from a chain of poor decisions on the part of the pilot, with actual mechanical issues being secondary if they indeed are a factor at all. I think whats going on is the whole culture of how we "learn to fly."
Key Takeaways:
- Most aviation mishaps stem from poor pilot decision-making rather than a lack of basic flying skills, highlighting a critical flaw in relying on personal "bad experiences" to learn in a high-risk environment.
- Pilots should view checkrides as the beginning of continuous learning, proactively seeking further instruction from CFIs and engaging with experienced mentors or peer discussions (e.g., "hangar flying" or online groups).
- To enhance safety and decision-making, pilots must actively utilize diverse educational resources, including aviation magazines, online courses, and challenging scenario-based flight reviews, to learn from others' experiences.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
