AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2011 - 26

WAYPOINTS
Tools for wisdom
I
n reviewing accident reports
I’m often frustrated by the
repeating patterns. Some
accident trends are skillrelated—crosswind
landing
accidents, for example. But too many are wisdomrelated.
In other words, the perpetrators, who
sometimes pay with their lives, lack wisdom. For
whatever reason, the people who attempt stupid
low-level maneuvers, run out of fuel, or dip below
decision altitude on an instrument approach lack
the wisdom to understand the risk they are taking on.
Undoubtedly, some people simply are not train-
Editor in Chief
Tom Haines has
been striving for
wisdom since he
began flying
34 years ago.
able. No matter how much education, training, and mentoring
is made available, they will either not take advantage of it or they
are unwilling to learn. Fortunately, the masses pick up enough
to get by and fly happily and safely for many years.
Still, the process of moving from greenhorn to sage is long
and tedious in general aviation. The GA cockpit can be a lonely
place the first time a pilot faces a new situation—the first low
IMC approach, a particularly demanding crosswind, a partialpanel
situation in weather.
The airlines and the military do a better job of assuring
knowledge transfer from seasoned pilots to newbies, but
through sometimes arduous processes. New airline co-pilots
fly with experienced captains. Even experienced pilots have a
lot of oversight when flying into an airport they’ve not been to
before. But even that doesn’t always work. I’ve talked to regional
airline pilots who flew mostly in the dry and warm Southwest
but were transferred to the left seat of airliners in the Northeast
without ever having seen ice on the airplane—or without
much experience using weather radar. Imagine how they’ll do
the first time they stare down an embedded thunderstorm over
central Pennsylvania or pick their way through ice-laden clouds
Benefits of the Code of Conduct (www.securav.com)
The Code of Conduct benefits pilots and the GA community by:
• Highlighting important practices to make pilots better, safer
aviators.
• Promoting improved pilot training, better airmanship, appropriate
pilot conduct, personal responsibility, and pilot contributions to the
GA community and society at large.
• Encouraging the development and adoption of good judgment and
ethical behavior.
• Advancing self-regulation through the GA community as an alternative
to government regulation.
• Promoting GA and making flying a more rewarding experience.
AOPA PILOT • 26 • JUNE 2011
in the lee of the Great Lakes. If only we could bundle
the knowledge and decision-making capabilities of
experienced pilots and port it into the brains of those
less experienced. To date, there’s no app for that, but
some guiding principles created by a host of sages is
a step in the right direction.
The Aviators Model Code of Conduct succinctly
brings together the knowledge of an experienced
group of aviators. The group has published codes
of conduct for many aviation participants, including
seaplane pilots, light sport pilots, glider pilots, students,
and mechanics. The newest code is for flight
instructors, published this spring. The codes are
meant to be living documents, updated as aviation
changes. The development and stewardship of the
codes is overseen by a permanent editorial board of
eight experts representing a cross section of aviation.
However, the codes reflect the input and advice from
dozens of aviation luminaries.
The Aviators Model Code of Conduct bills itself as “a vision
of excellence for aviators.” The code has seven sections, each
containing principles and sample recommended practices. The
sections cover the general responsibilities of aviators, advice on
dealing with passengers and people on the surface, training and
proficiency, security, environmental issues, use of technology,
and advancement and promotion of general aviation.
The principles under general responsibilities for aviators, for
example, include: make safety the number one priority; seek
excellence in airmanship; develop and exercise good judgment
and apply sound principles of aeronautical decision-making;
recognize and manage risks effectively; maintain situational
awareness, and adhere to prudent operating practices and
personal operating parameters (e.g., minimums); aspire to professionalism;
act with responsibility and courtesy; and adhere
to applicable laws and regulations.
A code of conduct in and of itself, of course, will never prevent
an accident—unless the code causes a pilot to take a positive
action that he otherwise might not. What if, for example, the
pilot who attempted to roll his Beech Baron with a load of passengers
had thought about prudent operating practices; aspiring
to professionalism; and, of course, adherence to applicable laws
and regulations? Might he and his four passengers still be alive
to enjoy another day of flying?
As with risk management checklists and other such devices,
the Aviators Model Code of Conduct is not a panacea, but it is
a thoughtfully produced document that helps pilots build a
framework for safe and enjoyable flying. Download your own
copy (www.securav.com). With a bit of reflection, you’ll quickly
see how it will improve your aviation experience.
E-mail the author at thomas.haines@aopa.org; follow on twitter.
com/tomhaines29.
BY THOMAS B. HAINES
EDITOR IN CHIEF
http://www.securav.com http://www.securav.com http://www.twitter.com/tomhaines29 http://www.twitter.com/tomhaines29
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2011

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