Flight Training - January 2015 - 41

by ATC that they penetrated a temporary
flight restriction (TFR) or violated some
regulation? The intent is not to remove
the enjoyment, but simply enhance it, so
when you land you can secure the airplane
and head home without unanticipated
additional hassle.
As our skills develop and sharpen, it
becomes easier to transfer from one task
to another, such as aviating (trimming out
the aircraft) to navigating (referencing
the chart) and communicating (talking to
ATC). As we gain experience and fly more
advanced aircraft with greater automation, our focus is freed for other cognitive
requirements. As autopilots ease some
of the workload, pilots tend to relax and
become complacent. This can lead to lax
standards when it comes to maintaining
airspeed, altitude, and heading. Don't let
yourself become complacent; continue to
hand-fly at every opportunity.
Develop good habit patterns before poor
habits are established. Research indicates
that it's easier to create positive habit patterns than to break and change a negative
habit. This concept supports why it is
easier to teach someone who has never
driven a car or flown an airplane compared to people with previous experience.
A good habit pattern, such as a good traffic
or instrument scan, will serve you when
you least expect it-in an emergency or the
prevention of one.
It comes down to basic training. For
example, a final gear check for the "three
down and locked" confirmation when flying fixed-gear aircraft will prepare pilots
for airplanes with retractable gear. If you
train yourself to perform certain tasks

consistently, such as using a before-landing checklist, it will become
so ingrained in your skills that when a distraction presents itself,
it can be addressed and attention immediately returned to the real
priority-flying.
KEEP FATIGUE AT BAY. Fatigue is a critical influencer in the manmachine dynamic. Mechanical failure is prevented by regular
inspections and preventive maintenance. Why, then, do we not do
the same for ourselves? Fatigue should be respected.
Professional aviators have established rules that dictate the
length of their duty day or the minimum amount of rest a crew must
be afforded before it can return to work. General aviation provides
more latitude for us to work within, but that does not mean we
need to take every inch. Official reports of fatigue-related accidents
are relatively low, but they still occur. The National Transportation Safety Board still releases accident reports in which pilots flew
while fatigued. Fatigue is easily preventable. Respect it, recognize it,
and prevent it.
APPRECIATE GENERAL AVIATION. Flying in the United States is
like no other place in the world. Relatively speaking, there are few
barriers to flying an airplane to virtually any desired destination.
There are no ancillary costs such as air traffic service charges.
General aviation here has maintained one of the least restrictive
airspace environments on the globe. Embrace this opportunity
and protect it.
Matthew Bauman is a fixed-wing and rotorcraft pilot who flies in the military.

FATIGUE IS EASILY
PREVENTABLE.
RESPECT IT,
RECOGNIZE IT,
AND PREVENT IT.

JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING

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Flight Training - January 2015

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