Habit 2 – Is an ambassador. Successful pilots are advocates for aviation. They look at it from a team perspective. We all win or lose together in this small community. With aviation under attack it is never more important than to be lobbying for our cause.

Habit 3 – Always thinking ahead. This is just good airmanship, but knowing how to see the way forward is hugely important. At a macro level this involves seeing where you’ll be in 10 years as an aviator or at the micro level, it’s staying ahead of the airplane in a given maneuver or procedure.

Habit 4 – Doesn’t let the ego get out of control. As a pilot It’s good to have a healthy ego. This business of flying airplanes isn’t for the meek. But there are all kinds of problems associated with an over-inflated ego. It’s a balance that isn’t always easy to manage for some of us, but the best aviators have this dialed in.

Habit 5 – Values safety and manages risk. Successful pilots must respect the need to be safe. Risk management is a large part of what we do as pilots, the good ones give it the appropriate amount of attention. The bad ones just create more statistics and make it hard for the rest of us.

Habit 6 – Uses all the resources at his/her disposal. With all of the easily accessible sources of information there’s little excuse, beyond laziness, for not doing your due diligence each flight. Beyond that, I would suggest that an effective pilot keeps their knowledge-base current by periodically reviewing appropriate guidance material. (source for FAR/AIM and other books)

Habit 7 – Understands and accepts the responsibility placed upon him/her. I think if more pilots thought about the consequences of their decisions and how they can affect innocent people they might make better decisions. Flying is an awesome privilege, but it comes with a hefty amount of responsibility. Successful pilots acknowledge and accept this.

There you have it; 7 Habits of Highly Effective Aviators. If you have a ‘habit’ that works well for you, reply below and share it with the group.

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by Brent Owens