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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​