Do the right thing. Easy to say, not always easy to do. As always, hindsight is usually more perfect than reality. So how do we promote good judgement? First and foremost we must treat good judgement as a skill, that can be acquired like anything else in learning to fly. We must not assume it will come naturally.
There are two basic components to doing the right thing. On one hand, we can start with developing the habits, attitudes, and knowledge to promote safe flight in our students. This is the preventative side of the equation that is designed to keep our students out of trouble in the first place. The other side deals with what happens when things go wrong. Regardless of whether or not a pilot is at fault in causing unsafe conditions, we should try to give them the tools to deal with these situations. Let’s start with the preventative part first.
S.O.A.R. The Process Of Safe Flight
S.O.A.R. is a rather apt acronym presented by Mike Apps of the Soaring Association of Canada and provides an umbrella for the processes of safe flight. S.O.A.R. stands for:
- See the Situation
- Options - assess, decide
- Action – perform the best action
- Repeat – repeat the process
However this is not a mantra that students will intone. Rather it represents a series of skills that should be introduced to the student. Doing the right thing is a complicated process that requires repeated exercise of acquired skill and knowledge. Hopefully the end result is a pilot that can recognize the situation, remain open to the options at hand, exercise the appropriate control of the aircraft, and continually review the process. The skill we introduce to our students is one of awareness of each of the parts of S.O.A.R.