If you pay attention to aviation news, you’ll know that aviation safety is more important now than ever. If you’re a pilot – of either a small one engine plane or something a lot larger – there are things you can do to help improve the safety of your flight. Modern aircraft systems and procedures are complicated and the opportunity for failure is all around, but if you take your time and put some best practices to use, you’ll increase the odds for a good flight with no mispaps.
Check Your Checklists
The importance of checking your checklist (or checking it twice if conditions call for it – like an ice storm), can’t be stressed enough. While seasoned pilots do this on “auto-pilot” sometimes before taking off, it’s worth it to slow down and consciously make an effort to pay attention to the details when you go over your safety checklist.
Don’t let your mind wander when you check the plane over. One small mistake here – one small thing you don’t notice – could become disastrous once you’re in the air. Taking your time to make sure everything checks out while you’re still on the ground can go a long way in increasing your chances for a good flight.
Flight Plans are Important
Another area of safety that might be able to be improved for you is the flight plan. You should know not only the flight plan for your course, but also alternate destinations. If something should happen, it’s better for you to know beforehand what your other options are. As things sometimes happen quickly when things go wrong in the air, the more you know about all your choices before you leave the ground, the better off you’re going to be.
It’s a good idea to also know about other airports that you may have to land at if something happens. You won’t be able to look up and memorize (or write down) information about all the airports out there, but before you go up each trip, you should familiarize yourself with any airports that are in your flight path just in case you have to make an unscheduled landing at one of them. Being prepared is an important part of aviation safety.
Equipment Upkeep
Another very important part of aviation safety is the proper maintenance and upkeep of equipment. If you know a part is getting old, it makes more sense to replace it before it breaks – especially if it’s likely to break when you’re in the air. Spending a few extra dollars to get the part early is worth it if you can avoid problems later while you’re in the air. Parts do break down, but making sure you keep up with all maintenance and upkeep can help you stay safe.