The Risks of Routine

One of the great joys of flying is a routine flight. Im not referring to a flight that went as expected, which undeniably is the greatest joy, Im talking about flying a routine route. If you hop in your plane on a Saturday afternoon to fly to your favorite $100 hamburger location and get a respite from your weekday worries, or a cargo pilot plying a daily route, you probably know the pleasure I am talking about. Pilots who fly routine flights can feel at one with their aircraft, heightening their sensitivity to any little deviation, like unusual engine noises or subtle performance changes with different loads.

Mike Hart

Saturday, November 18, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Routine flights can dangerously foster pilot complacency, leading to a reduced awareness of subtle deviations or novel circumstances.
Complacency manifests as misguided decision-making when unexpected factors arise, such as non-routine weather, altered aircraft configurations, or unusual ATC instructions.
To combat this, pilots must maintain vigilance, strictly adhere to checklists, actively question assumptions, and pay close attention to all flight details, including NOTAMs and ATC clearances, treating every flight as if it were new.

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One of the great joys of flying is a routine flight. I’m not referring to a flight that went as expected, which undeniably is the greatest joy, I’m talking about flying a routine route. If you hop in your plane on a Saturday afternoon to fly to your favorite $100 hamburger location and get a respite from your weekday worries, or a cargo pilot plying a daily route, you probably know the pleasure I am talking about. Pilots who fly routine flights can feel at one with their aircraft, heightening their sensitivity to any little deviation, like unusual engine noises or subtle performance changes with different loads.

But, like everything else, risk is just around the corner. While you enjoy feeling pleased with yourself because you’re on top of things, you are just a whisker away from complacency. And once you start feeling satisfied, maybe even congratulating yourself on your achievements, it’s too late. That’s when you are most unaware of your own deficiencies and potential dangers.