Risk Management in Flying

February 15, 2014

Icarus Series #3: Flying Too Close To The Sun

Icarus was so enchanted by flight that he failed to heed his father’s warnings and crashed into the sea. He became hypnotized; drunken by his senses. He flew too close to the sun and melted his wings.   How many of us have found ourselves in this state? So enthused by the gift of flight…

January 17, 2014

Dancing With The Lizard: Flying and Your Brain

I am not a doctor or a scientist, but in doing some research for another project I learned some interesting things about the brain that translates to this grand endeavor we call flying. The Cerebral Cortex, the largest area of the brain, is where most thinking functions occur. The cortex consists of four lobes: – The Frontal Lobe…

July 29, 2013

Recency of Experience

Recency of experience is one of the major safety challenges that we face in general aviation. Although it doesn’t seem to get a lot of direct press, it’s lurking just under the surface in many accidents.  It’s one of the less tangible causations which push investigators to dig deep for answers that almost never materialize,…

June 22, 2013

Why do we suck at being safe?

I wrote a recent article for AirFactsJournal.com that highlights what I feel is the larger issue around light aircraft safety. It has very little to do with inadequate training or marginal equipment or antiquated regulations. I think the current training programs are fine (could always be better), the equipment very safe, and our FARs exist…

May 23, 2013

Plan Continuation Bias

I penned an article for General Aviation News this week about a Human Factors condition known as Plan Continuation Bias, we know it as “get-there-itis.” I thought folks that come here would enjoy it as well.  Without giving it away, I will say that this human condition is in all of us and I have…

February 22, 2013

Safety vs. Risk Management

Safety vs. Risk Management I am starting to loath the word safety. This term has been carelessly bandied around for years. Talk long enough to a fellow pilot or group of pilots and inevitably it will come up.  The Internet is particularly riff with declarations of safety. Even I admit to hippocratic overuse of the word…