If youre reading this article, chances are you are not the kind of pilot who would intentionally cut off someone off on final. You probably wouldnt attempt to verbally bully a nervous solo student into rushing her pre-takeoff checklist because your IFR clearance void time is ticking away. But what can you do if you find yourself wingtip to wingtip with such a self-absorbed and potentially dangerous individual? I thought about this after a recent flight with a pre-solo student, when the Very Important Pilot of a high-performance, single-engine Experimental aircraft-lets call him Pusher-nearly turned our productive hour of pattern work into an NTSB report. Hurry Up And Wait It was a sunny and unseasonably mild Saturday afternoon in February, and my student and I had stopped at Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK) in nearby Frederick, Md., for brunch after a morning of slow flight and stalls in the local practice area. 288
Ramp Rage
If youre reading this article, chances are you are not the kind of pilot who would intentionally cut off someone off on final. You probably wouldnt attempt to verbally bully a nervous solo student into rushing her pre-takeoff checklist because your IFR clearance void time is ticking away. But what can you do if you find yourself wingtip to wingtip with such a self-absorbed and potentially dangerous individual?
Key Takeaways:
- "Ramp rage," driven by impatience or ego, can lead to dangerous pilot behavior, as exemplified by a "Pusher" pilot who pressured and then flew unsafely close to the author's student aircraft.
- Pilots must prioritize safety over external pressure, remain vigilant, and assess their own mental and emotional fitness (e.g., using the IMSAFE checklist) to prevent poor judgment.
- When faced with aggressive or unsafe pilot behavior, it is recommended to use non-threatening communication, de-escalate the situation, or yield to avoid conflict, rather than engaging in confrontation.
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