Risk Management Magazine

We made the necessary adjustments for our situation, but more importantly, we saw the importance of staying calm, effective crew coordination and relying on our training as aviators to keep us safe while effectively executing the mission.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a sucker hole refers to an opening in a cloud layer through which an aviator may descend. I’ve heard of sucker holes throughout my time in Army aviation and always wondered why someone would fall for it. But on one flight, I nearly ended up falling for one myself.

When the commander needs an aircraft, you can bet a Soldier from the maintenance shop will be eagerly standing by to ensure he or she gets it. Unfortunately, sometimes this on-demand convenience leads to Soldiers moving around aircraft quicker than they usually would.