Risk Factors a Pilot should know before taking off

Becoming a pilot can be glamorous and at the same time thrilling after all it’s a great career with good perks. However, before you leave the ground, you should also know the risks associated with it. In aviation, risk management is a crucial component of being successful and safe in the air. The calibre of pilot flight training you receive is superior. So besides the physical aspects of learning to fly, aspirants receive training in overall safety, weather and environment risk assessment. By mastering the aviation risk management, you can identify possible risks, assess the effectiveness of several solutions, evaluate risk and employ the best solution for a given situation in a timely manner. Undergoing risk management training helps aviation aspirants become better, safer pilots.

Safety is the eventual goal in aviation. The aviation community is extremely determined to convert lessons learnt from events and accidents into better procedures and practices. For every mistake that the pilot has made, there has been someone who has paid for it with their life. Thus best practices and results from accident investigations are formulated into standard operating procedures that are legally binding for the entire industry.

Examine the Aircraft

The aircraft’s condition is an extremely vital part of flight safety. A pilot is accountable for executing several pre-flight and in-flight safety checks, which include monitoring several aircraft systems. It’s a part of aviation risk management taught during pilot flight training. Pilots run an all-inclusive check of fuel, engine, electronics and hydraulics systems. By doing this type of risk assessment before and during every flight, safety of the aircraft is regularly monitored.

Look into Glitches

Another key factor, in ensuring safety, when discussing risk assessment in aviation is the pilot. According to a study, in the last 2 decades, roughly 80% of aviation accidents have resulted due to pilot error. It also elaborates that the certified flight instructor who integrates risk management into flight training teaches aspiring pilots the ways to be more aware of possible risks in flying, ways to clearly identify those dangers and ways to manage them successfully. Risk management also includes external pressures such as fatigue, stress and the pilot’s health as determining factors to be taken into consideration.

Risks beyond the pilot & aircraft

There are other risks that aren’t associated with the plane and pilot, which can be categorized as environmental risk. Factors such as weather, air traffic control, obstacles, terrain and runways are important factors that need to be evaluated as well as monitored before and during each flight. Weather, particularly can differ greatly during the course of a flight, making weather risk management a near constant part of aviation risk management.

Locating a Good Flight Training School

When opting for a flight training school/institute, proper pilot flight training including risk assessment is something to look for.

A pilot being a crucial aspect of a flying journey must be well trained in evaluating the risks associated with aircraft maintenance and flying. So, the flight training school plays a crucial role here wherein the pilot gets trained for all possible risks. Look for a good and certified pilot training school.

Priyesh Mishra is the Head of Admin at Indian Aerospace & Engineering, a leading institute for Aeronautical Engineering in Mumbai, approved by Director General of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Civil Aviation (Govt. of India).