Day 22

Airmanship.

Most of us know that there is a difference between being passing your driving test and being a good driver. The test sets a minimum standard, but developing 'road sense' probably comes later.

The flying equivalent of 'road sense' is called 'airmanship' (sorry, this term is used for women pilots too!) and encompasses the overall ability of a pilot to be in control of the aircraft, to have good situational awareness and perhaps most importantly, to be able to prioritise tasks appropriately. Now that most of the syllabus has been completed, my flight today and and most of the remaining sorties before the test will be concerned with putting all of the elements of the course together, and combining these with good airmanship.

One of the phrases that my former colleages in AIMAIR referred to often was 'AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE'. This is a useful way to remember a fundamental priority order for this fascinating business of flying.

AVIATE: keep flying the aircraft. Whatever else happens, it is vital to remain in control of the aircraft at all times. Sounds obvious, but it is surprising how many accidents have occurred because a pilot spent too long looking at the map on his/her lap, and flew into the ground or another aircraft. Even in a crash situation, the pilot's duty is to maintain control of the aircraft. It is far better to 'land' on a tree in a controlled manner than to merely crash into one (after all anyone could do that).

NAVIGATE: The second priority after flying the aircraft is to fly it in a particular direction. Again this sounds obvious, but it may surprise you to learn just how many aircraft infringe controlled or restricted airspace because the pilot was lost or 'temporarily unsure of position'.
In 2007 there were more than 600 occurrences of airspace infringements in the UK (see http://www.flyontrack.co.uk/infstats.asp) So a pilot should always have a navigational plan, should be generally aware of the airspace around them, and should prudently use radio navigation aids.

COMMUNICATE: Finally, the pilot should maintain an appropriate level of communication with Air Traffic units on the ground, and possibly other aircraft. Some pilots fly around and never talk to the radar controllers and airfield radio operators who are there to help them. Others spend too much time talking to them and not enough time AVIATING and NAVIGATING. It is important to think about who to talk to and what to say, as inefficient use of the radio wastes time and can distract pilots and controllers from potential problems. It's good to talk, as the BT advert says, but communicating is less critical than continuing to fly the aircraft or knowing where you are going.

There is much more to airmanship than just these three, but I think they are a good place to start.