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Risk Management

PAVE Checklist

Use before every flight:

  • P: Pilot
  • A: Aircraft
  • V: EnVironment
  • E: External pressures

Aviation Instructor's Handbook pg. 1-4

IMSAFE Checklist

IMSAFE is used to evaluate aeromedical factors that may affect a pilot.

  • I: Illness
  • M: Medication
  • S: Stress
  • A: Alcohol
  • F: Fatigue
  • E: Emotion

Aviation Instructor's Handbook pg. 1-7

Flight Risk Assessment Tools (FRAT)

A flight risk assessment tool is a numerical decision-making framework for visualization and aggregating risk into a go/no-go decision.

Aviation Instructor's Handbook pg. 1-10

Situation Awareness

Situational awareness is continuous awareness of all factors and conditions that affect aircraft safety before, during, and after flight.

Some obstacles to situational awareness are:

  • Fatigue
  • Stress
  • Complacency: Overconfidence from previous experience or expectation
  • Fixation: Fixating on one issue and ignoring others, especially true with advanced avionics

Aviation Instructor's Handbook pg. 1-13

Single-Pilot Resource Management

The art and science of managing all of the resources available to a single pilot to ensure a successful outcome.

This includes concepts like:

  • Aeronautical decision-making
  • Situational awareness
  • Risk management
  • Task management
  • Automation management
  • Controlled flight into terrain awareness (CFIT)

CARE Checklist

  • C: Consequences
  • A: Alternatives
  • R: Reality
  • E: External pressures

The 5Ps

  1. The Plan: What is the plan and how can it change
  2. The Pilot: Readiness, fatigue, currency, proficiency
  3. The Plane: Condition of the plane, engine, avionics
  4. The Passengers: Single-pilot will need to deal with passengers directly, their pressures or fears
  5. The Programming: Instruments, GPS, automation

Aviation Instructor's Handbook pg. 1-16

Aeronautical Decision-Making

ADM is systemic approach to evaluating a situation and consistently determining the best course of action.

Hazardous Attitudes

Pilots should actively recognize their own hazardous attitudes, but instructors should also be aware of any hazardous attitudes of their learners.

  • Anti-authority: "Don't tell me" / "Taking chances is foolish"
  • Impulsivity: "Do it quickly" / "Follow the rules. They are usually right"
  • Invulnerability: "It won't happen to me" / "It could happen to me"
    • Or, "it might just happen to me"
  • Macho: "I can do it" / "Not so fast. Think first"
    • Don't compare yourself for others
  • Resignation: "What's the use" / "I'm not helpless. I can make a difference"

Have pilots identify themselves with one or more of the attitudes, which may not happen all the time.

Aviation Instructor's Handbook pg. 1-22

Risk Management Tips