You’ve heard the cliche: flying isn’t dangerous, it’s just unforgiving. This may be a tired saying, but it’s very true, and if we’re honest with ourselves, this challenge is part of what makes flying so rewarding. If we can master such a complex and demanding skill, we can rightly feel proud.

The unforgiving nature of aviation has serious consequences, though, consequences we should remember every time we enter the cockpit. If we’re unrealistic about our new year’s resolution, it probably won’t hurt us. Flying is a different story. There aren’t many second chances.

Be realistic – if the fuel gauges show almost empty, it’s time to land.

In this unforgiving environment, one of the most critical skills is the ability to be realistic. The point is, whether we’re dealing with aircraft performance, weather, or avionics, we have to be constantly readjusting our sense of the situation: What’s going on now? How does that compare to my expectations? Do I need to adjust my plan? What else might have changed given this new information?

A pilot who becomes lazy, or hangs onto old information because it’s comforting, sets himself up for all kinds of mistakes. Consider these common accident scenarios:

• VFR into IMC. This might be the ultimate lack of realism, as a pilot continues into deteriorating weather even though he most likely knows the weather stinks. Instead of admitting that Plan A won’t work, he continues on because it’s more convenient than changing plans. It doesn’t matter what the forecast said; “what you see is what you get.”

Continued VFR flight into IMC conditions is a dangerous trap.

• Fuel exhaustion. Most airplanes that run out of gas have fully functional fuel gauges. The pilot comes up short not because of a mechanical problem, but because he ignored reality. A realistic pilot continually updates the fuel on board and changes plans when the math no longer works, even if it seems unbelievable based on preflight calculations.
• Takeoff accidents. Max gross weight is not just a suggestion, as dozens of pilots discover every year. No matter how nice it would be to carry full fuel and four adults in a Cessna 172, it just won’t happen. Be realistic and leave something behind.
• Crosswind landing mishaps. There are no regulations against landing in a 35 knot crosswind; in fact, airline pilots do it every day. That doesn’t mean it’s safe for a 100-hour private pilot to attempt it. Part of being a safe pilot means understanding your own limitations and never exceeding them.

There aren’t regulations against strong crosswinds, but it’s not a good idea to exceed max demonstrated.

Confirmation bias is at work in a big way here, because we all lie to ourselves when it makes life easier. We embrace the one METAR that shows VFR conditions, since it matches our plan, even while we ignore the 20 other METARs showing IFR. One way to fight this urge is to imagine you are giving advice to someone in your situation. Taking this outside view has been shown to improve decision-making in all kinds of activities, including flying. Or as one of my early flight instructors said, “start writing your own NTSB report and see how it sounds.” That’s usually enough to make me reconsider a 50/50 decision.

It’s not all bad news. One trend that suggests pilots are becoming more realistic in their approach to risk management involves Cirrus airplanes and their built-in parachute systems. There are now more parachute pulls and yet fewer fatal accidents in SR22 and SR20 airplanes. It seems Cirrus pilots are becoming more realistic about their ability to save the airplane when something goes wrong (engine failure, severe ice, loss of control). Instead of trying to be a hero and save the airplane, they are pulling the red handle and saving their lives. That takes guts to admit, but it’s most definitely progress.

When we’re told to “be realistic,” it sometimes gets interpreted as “be conservative.” That attitude will probably keep you safe, but a truly sharp pilot knows the difference between conservative and realistic. The latter means continually evaluating current conditions and pilot skill, and never allowing them to get out of sync.

Getting the most out of each lesson involves preparation.

I was recently reminded of what it’s like to be a student again last week after attending the first of a series of guitar lessons. Everything about it was foreign to me, from feeling like an outsider at the music shop to opening a book of sheet music that looked like it was written in a foreign language. Each lesson is only 30 minutes, and takes place one on one with the music instructor in a very small room. The first lesson was over before I knew it, and on the drive home it got me thinking of how similar this was to when I took my first flight lesson 13 years ago. I considered myself a good student at the time, but in hindsight there were many things I could have done better to get more out of each lesson. And having been a flight instructor for 11 years now, I’ve seen both the good and bad habits of students, and how it affects their flight training.

When I got home that night, I sat down and wrote out how I could maximize each 30-minute lesson. I decided out of the gate I would arrive to each lesson early, have the assigned chapters from the Guitar Method book nearly memorized, and ensure that my guitar was properly tuned so I wouldn’t waste any of the instructor’s time with something I could do on my own.

Now of course in music the #1 way to improve is to practice, practice, practice. In aviation you obviously can’t practice flying the real airplane in your living room, but there are many things you can do make the most of the time with your flight instructor.

1. Use a Syllabus or Training Course Outline (TCO) – this is good advice whether you’re learning at a big flight school or from an independent CFI.  A syllabus provides a logical order to flight training and allows you to effectively track your progress lesson by lesson. Sporty’s offers its TCOs free of charge for all Primary, Instrument and Multiengine courses: get them here.

2. Prepare for each lesson in advance – I can’t stress the importance of this one enough. After each lesson your instructor will assign you reading material and specific items to study (and if he or she doesn’t, make it a point to ask what you should be reviewing). For ground lessons, make sure to review the appropriate subject areas in advance, and make notes of any areas that you don’t understand. To prepare for flight lessons, review step-by-step each maneuver that is listed in the lesson, and do some “arm-chair” flying where you mentally run through each task with a checklist in hand. A dedicated maneuvers guide can be a big help here.

Seminars are a great opportunity to meet the aviation community.

3. Become part of the airport community – make an effort to get to know the other instructors and students at your flight school, and attend seminars and forums when offered at your airport. In addition to feeling more comfortable each time you arrive for your lessons, you’ll find that other students can offer valuable advice on how they progressed through challenging lessons and tasks during their training.

4. Minimize distractions – if you find yourself continually distracted during ground lessons by the typical activities of a general aviation airport, ask your instructor for a more secluded meeting area. Most schools have designated quiet areas that provide a good one-on-one learning environment.

5. Start with an organized cockpit – make it a point during the cockpit pre-flight to organize the cabin – have your sectionals, kneeboard, A/FDs, pens, iPad and E6B all readily accessible. Leaving the A/FD in your flight bag unreachable on the back seat doesn’t lead to a positive learning experience when your instructor requests a diversion to a new airport.

6. Use a video-based home-study course in conjunction with your training at the airport – This ties in with the 2^nd item above. Using a home-study course like Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course will allow you to prepare in advance for both ground and flight lessons, and is much more engaging than just studying text books.

Maintain a consistent schedule and show up to each session rested and ready to learn.

7. Maintain a consistent lesson schedule – try to schedule at least 2 to 3 lessons per week, and avoid long stretches of time in between lessons. You’ll retain the knowledge and skills better, leading to a quicker and less costly path to earning your certificate.

8. Show up for each lesson well rested – this may seem obvious, but you’re wasting both your and the instructor’s time in the airplane if you’re not physically and mentally rested for each lesson.

9. Don’t skimp on the post-flight briefing – the post-flight briefing is one of the most important components of any flight lesson. Here you’ll cover what you did well during the flight along with items that need improvement. Make sure to record the flight times in your logbook (with instructor’s signature), document the flight details in a syllabus and discuss what needs reviewing before the next lesson.

10. Set realistic expectations – don’t expect to execute each new maneuver and procedure to pro-pilot standards during the first attempt. There will be a learning curve, but with proper preparation on the ground and practice in the air, you’ll quickly become proficient. And as you become comfortable with each task, don’t settle for just meeting the FAA minimums – always try to exceed them.