Airwork: Assessing the Risk of Ascending

Saturday, May 08, 2010 at 07:05 AM ET

Verified

John Harlin III, playing at the controls
of his dad's trainer at Hahn Air Base in
Germany, developed his skills at risk
assessment as a mountaineer.

Key Takeaways:

Faced with significant airplane maintenance issues, the author sought a "rest cure" in Oaxaca, Mexico, where they met John Harlin III, a mountaineer with a family history in aviation.
The article draws striking parallels between mountain climbing and flying, particularly regarding the psychological aspects of risk assessment and the common tendency for individuals to self-delude about their immunity to mistakes.
Through insights from Harlin's experiences, the author stresses the critical importance for pilots to prioritize conservative decision-making, develop skills in safe environments, and choose wisdom over ambition ("get-there-itis") when faced with risky conditions.

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The idea was to get away. We’d just learned that the life of the engine in our Cardinal ¡ha terminado! And, even after we decided what to do about replacing the engine, it would be some time before we’d be able to fly the airplane again. In the meantime, the IFR certification (transponder and pitot-static system), my FAA physical and the airplane’s annual inspection all would come due.

It felt like too much to deal with; we needed something to take our minds off our airplane’s afflictions.