The Only Constant

Change can be good. It can also soak up your mental bandwidth and force you into reacting instead of planning.

Sunday, December 17, 2023 at 08:00 AM ET

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A glance back down the conga line from the parallel taxiway before takeoff often can tell you a lot about how long your flight plan will last before ATC amends it. Take your time, write down the details and don't let the changed routes or procedures force you to cut corners.

Key Takeaways:

Unexpected in-flight changes significantly increase pilot workload and distraction, necessitating a primary focus on aircraft control and flight path management.
Pilots should employ strategies such as writing down new clearances, consciously slowing down when overwhelmed, and setting "gates" or decision points for critical flight phases.
During substantial changes, prioritize "aviate, navigate, communicate," ensure all checklists are completed, verify aircraft configuration, and conservatively manage fuel.
It is crucial for pilots to be prepared to tell ATC "unable" to requests that compromise safety or workload, always communicating their needs effectively.

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Instrument flying is a challenging combination of rigid rules and a flexible operating environment. When changes occur, threats present themselves. Staying ahead of the aircraft and managing the flightpath is critical to ensure a safe outcome and avoid potential deviations.

I try to find inspiration for safety topics in my day-to-day flying. While I try to squeeze as much general aviation flying in as I can, airline flying vastly outweighs my logbook entries as of late. So, when I find myself in a situation where I could imagine any pilot being tripped up, I attempt to turn on the ole mental tape recorder and see where the threats lie, and what went right and what went wrong while we worked through it. Such an event occurred to me recently. The names and locations have been changed to protect the innocent.