Knowledge

Many aviation mishaps or near misses result from a failure to practice procedures that have been taught since the beginning of pilot training. As time passes and we gain experience, sometimes these foundational elements become easily overlooked. If so, the results can be catastrophic. As the mission evolves and the timeline condenses, it’s essential to not overlook these keystone elements to ensure the job is done safely and successfully.

It was December at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and our unit was preparing for a field training exercise. Leadership was monitoring the weather because winters can be pretty crazy at Fort Sill. Temperatures were expected to hover around the freezing mark during the daytime and drop to minus 17 F at night. Whatever the weather, we were determined to be prepared.