Risk Management Magazine

I am a pretty calm guy. I find that getting worked up about things only tends to make matters worse. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy getting other people riled up, particularly those who are being jerks. I eventually learned, however, that could be dangerous.

As an aviator, I am cautious around anyone who uses the word “easy.” Just because a mission appears to be simple does not mean it will turn out that way. It is our responsibility as pilots to conduct proper flight planning procedures and risk management to identify potential hazards in the mission before takeoff.

All too often in aviation, we are hesitant to admit when we don’t know something or, even worse, that we made a mistake. This was never more evident to me than when my unit began to turn in our OH-58A/Cs and transition to the UH-72 Lakota.