Risk Management Magazine

The job of an aviation safety officer is practically identical to that of James Bond — filled with intrigue, danger and martinis (shaken, not stirred). Well, maybe not intrigue or martinis, but definitely danger, as in protecting our service members from it. At times, the challenge can be quantifying the threat and then communicating its existence effectively.

I showed up at my first assignment as an aviator right as we were headed out the door for a deployment in Regional Command East. I was excited and nervous. My Readiness Level 3 to 2 progression took two flights and suddenly I was flying combat missions with my troop standardization pilot (SP). Flight school had given me just enough experience to make me dangerous, so there were good days where I was nearly competent, and bad days where I was a liability in the cockpit.

As a longtime motorcycle enthusiast and fan of riding periodicals, I’ve read about various strategies for avoiding accidents. Articles warn of traffic-related problems motorcyclists encounter all too frequently — drivers backing out of driveways, oncoming drivers turning left and drivers in the left lane suddenly turning right. The warnings and riding techniques discussed in these articles are extremely valuable and should be remembered and practiced while you’re riding. While you’re practicing these techniques, however, make sure that you also, literally, watch the road.