Lack Of Peer Pressure

When I was a student pilot, I was lucky to have some grizzled mentors. There were a lot of do this and dont do that admonitions, a lot of tips regarding shortcuts and rules of thumb, plus some sage advice about decision-making. A lot of that advice could be broken down into the old Its better to be on the ground wishing you in the air than to be in the air wishing you were on the ground genre, but it was often accompanied by a Let me tell you what I learned the hard way kind of introduction.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Sunday, January 27, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Thorough preflight planning and critical peer review are crucial for safe flight, as highlighted by a fatal accident where a pilot's friend minimized weather risks instead of challenging assumptions.
A non-instrument-rated pilot fatally crashed into mountainous terrain during a dark night VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), with inadequate planning and poor decision-making cited as probable causes.
To avoid Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT), especially at night, pilots must conduct comprehensive preflight planning, familiarize themselves with terrain, and ensure adequate altitude separation, rather than relying on visual avoidance or ATC for VFR terrain warnings.

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When I was a student pilot, I was lucky to have some grizzled mentors. There were a lot of “do this” and “don’t do that” admonitions, a lot of tips regarding shortcuts and rules of thumb, plus some sage advice about decision-making. A lot of that advice could be broken down into the old “It’s better to be on the ground wishing you in the air than to be in the air wishing you were on the ground” genre, but it was often accompanied by a “Let me tell you what I learned the hard way” kind of introduction.

Later, as I gained experience, other pilots began treating me more as a peer than someone who needed additional knowledge. Looking back, it’s obvious the methodology changed: Once I became something of a peer to other pilots, the questions I might be asked about a planned flight became more detailed and focused on the consequences of my decisions and actions.