We always hear, “Plan the flight — Fly the Plan.” And this is great advice — until the plan no longer makes sense. Unfortunately, too many pilots plan the flight and then hang on to that plan when it no longer makes sense because they really don’t have a backup plan.
Quite often, we spend so much time and energy in planning a cross-country flight, for example, that we have so much emotional energy invested that we cannot give it up. So, when planning a cross-country flight, spend just as much time planning the alternative. What will you do if the airplane goes down for maintenance? What about a late return by an earlier renter? What about deteriorating weather? And, to help you accept this other plan a little more easily, don’t think of it as a back-up. Think of it as an alternate plan. Then, when the need for a plan change arises, you are fully prepared, and mentally ready to accept the alternative.
