Flight Training - August 2014 - 43

steps in an emergency situation, but it will also give you
a sense of confidence during those high-stress times
because you know you are fully prepared to handle
most things the airplane or the weather can throw at
you. Sullenberger confidently viewed the bird strike as a
"problem to be solved," not as a panic-worthy situation
from which there was no way out.
Once the emergency situation actually arises, there
are several things you can do in the heat of the moment
to ensure the best possible outcome. Surprisingly the
very first thing you must do is...nothing at all. Seriously,
do nothing. Instead, take a deep breath and allow yourself a second or two to control your body's naturally
anxious response. Pilots who immediately start indiscriminately throwing switches are bound to make a bad
situation even worse. Remember that you probably have
more time than you think you do. So take a moment
and assess the situation before you begin taking steps to
remedy the problem.
Once you are certain of what your problem actually is, then you can consider all of your resources and
proceed. The most important thing to keep in mind
is to continue to fly the airplane, maintaining positive
control at all times. If, and only if, you have the situation under control should you then take the time to
notify air traffic control of your emergency and plan of
action. ATC can be very helpful in an emergency situation by providing vectors to the nearest suitable airport
or assisting in any number of ways. However, if they
become too much of a distraction, remember that flying
the airplane is your first priority.
Finally, once you are proceeding with the logical
course upon which you have decided, picture the positive outcome that you desire, even if that outcome is
simply being able to walk away from the accident. Don't
allow yourself to imagine the other possibility. Doing
so will only bring fear and anxiety back into the cockpit
and keep you from focusing on the task at hand.
Remember, your biggest resource in any stressful
situation is your own mind. Surviving an emergency
often depends on the pilot's reaction to anxiety and
stress rather than the actual nature of the emergency.
Fear and panic can spread like wildfire through a
cockpit, infecting everyone on board with a sense of
dread about the outcome of the flight. Luckily for we
pilots who handle stressful situations daily, there's also
something else that's contagious: a calm, self-assured
presence of mind that no matter what happens, we are
more than capable of handling the emergency. In fact,
the only thing we have to fear-is fear itself.

COOL UNDER
PRESSURE
Fly like the big boys
One reason Capt. Chesley B. Sullenberger
and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles were so
successful in executing the "Miracle on the
Hudson" was because of standard operating procedures. Although Skiles was meant
to fly that trip, Sully calmly took control of
the aircraft after the bird strike, and Skiles
dutifully read the checklist. They might not
have trained for that exact scenario, but
they knew how to work together because
of training.
You can do the same thing. General aviation now has fantastic access to wonderful
simulators that can simulate problems we
could never recreate in an airplane. Make
it a priority to work with an instructor
in a simulator on emergencies only. You
can practice engine failures at 50, 500,
and 5,000 feet; fires; smoke; electrical
and communication failures; and myriad
other problems. Practicing recovery on the
ground in a safe environment will create a
mindset to fix the problem correctly and
with authority if it ever happens in the air.
-Ian J. Twombly

Natalie Bingham Hoover, ATP/CFII/MEI, has given more than 3,000
hours of dual instruction. She lives in Germantown, Tennessee.

AUGUST 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING

/ 43

Flight Training - August 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - August 2014