Long time GA pilots - what has kept you safe?

[FastEddieB]

Perhaps already covered already, but…

I think following the “Most Conservative Action” philosophy is important.

In practice, if the word “probably” or the phrase “I’m pretty sure…” find their way into your thinking, it’s time for a gut check.

For instance, “That new noise on runup is probably nothing”, or “I’m pretty sure we have enough fuel to make our destination”, it’s time to reconsider.

Even if you’re 99% sure you can handle a certain gusty crosswind, for example, that’s admitting that 1 in 100 tries it may get the best of you.

Simple in concept, but devilishly hard to do in practice. I’m sure we all can easily bring up examples of “pressing on regardless” and narrowly avoiding disaster. I certainly know I can!

 

[chemgeek]

(1) I used to guffaw when the FAA attempted to reform teaching (CARE, PAVE). But what they are doing is attempting to teach "aviator brain". To some it cannot be taught. God bless them.
(2) Some guys I will just NOT fly with (ref: the McSpadden accident).

CFI

(2) is important. I almost came to grief flying shotgun with an (unknown to me at the time) incompetent pilot. He went through many, many holes of the Swiss cheese until I finally took over the aircraft he was piloting as it was going off the destination runway without any discernible reaction from the PIC. So many holes: (1) flat brakes found on preflight, ignored (I learned later); (2) couldn't hold a VOR course and couldn't establish proper new course when crossing a VOR during our trip; (3) flew the wrong pattern at the destination airport (as I was flipping through the AFD to figure out what it actually was--when this wasn't published on the Sectionals); (4) narrowly avoided a mid-air when flying the incorrect base leg, conflicted with another plane on the correct base leg; (5) approach speed 15-20 kt too high; (6) landed halfway down a 4000 foot runway, wheelbarrowing; (7) unresponsive and paralyzed when right brake was ineffective (see #1) as we started deviating toward and off the left side of the runway. We stopped dozens of feet from the end of the runway after I took over and skidded the nose tire in a right turn and feathered the only good brake. We were probably fortunate that the PIC did not (properly) elect to perform a go-around, in all honesty. That probably would have been a stall/spin accident. I was a young 100+ hour pilot at that time. This scared the pants off of me. I became a lot pickier about who I few with after that, and didn't make any assumptions about the competence of other pilots. It's not that hard to properly preflight and fly a C172.

 

[simie1]

Having my wife and kids in the plane flying all over the country has had a big impact on me. It has led to some amazing adventures that come with a different risk than not doing it, which has made me more careful and slightly paranoid.