Slow and Steady
November 2011
The fact is, we fly too fast.
Many people are attracted to flying because they "feel the need for speed." Whether it's the physical sensation of speed they're after or the speed to get from point A to point B, velocity is a prime motivator for becoming a pilot.
Being a student of aviation safety, as both a businessman and an enthusiast, I've learned that many accidents come from lack of planning before a flight, and inattention to detail once the flight is under way. In Avemco's experience, most crashes and in-motion insurance claims come from lapses in pilot judgment, and one of the surest ways to make a bad decision is to be rushed.
Think about the flight well before taking it. What might go wrong on this particular flight? How will I deal with that if it happens? What external pressures on this flight might cause me to make a bad decision?
Take the time to properly plan your flight. Spend a little extra time on preflight inspections. Don't rush your preflight; thoroughly check that the airplane is airworthy. Run your checklists methodically and completely; taxi slowly, and take the time for a thorough Before Takeoff engine run-up and check.
En route, get your weather updates early and review your arrival procedures and airport well before you begin an approach. Finish your landing roll before you "clean up" the airplane and transition to taxi. Do a deliberate shutdown, verifying everything with the checklist. Spend a few minutes doing a post-flight inspection, to catch things now before you're tempted to look at the airplane too fast before the next flight.
There's an old saying that goes "Time to spare? Go by air." We usually think of this in the context of weather and airplane mechanical delays. But it's also a reminder that we should slow down to prepare for flight, and to avoid making bad decisions along the way.
Slow and steady may not always win the race, but it is a lot more likely to keep you safe.
|