In “When to Give Up,” an article from several years ago, I recommended giving serious thought before every takeoff about how to handle an emergency. Rather than trying for a “miracle save,” it was usually better to accept the unpleasant certainty of bending some metal but probably surviving.
Giving Up Flying…Again
Key Takeaways:
- Pilots should pre-plan emergency responses, prioritizing a controlled landing over risky "miracle saves" to ensure survival.
- A major challenge for pilots is recognizing and accepting their own age-related decline and knowing when to gracefully stop flying, especially solo.
- The article illustrates this with several examples of experienced, aging pilots whose diminished mental or physical capabilities led to dangerous flying incidents.
- It advocates for pilots to be "their brother's keeper" by addressing concerns with aging peers, and for individuals to proactively assess their own proficiency through checks or by imposing self-limitations.
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