[Sticky] Topic 23-1: Why I Wrote Master Airline Pilot

Over my many years as an airline pilot, safety investigator, and human factors engineer, I strived to understand the conditions and processes that preceded errors, mishaps, and accidents. By all measures, the mishap pilots were judged as qualified, well trained, proficient, and well intentioned. Yet following their mishaps, they found themselves sitting in front of an investigation committee trying to explain the questionable choices that they made and the ill-fated actions that they took. In hindsight, they struggled to understand how they missed seemingly clear warning signs and how they failed to choose much safer courses of action. Surely, there must be something more than qualifications, training, proficiency, and intentions needed to generate consistently safe and resilient operations.

I discerned a range of particular mindsets, motivations, techniques, and diligence between pilots. As major airline pilots, none of us were novices, per se. Even new-hire First Officers perform well enough to handle most line-flying situations. In the middle of the pilot group are successful, proficient pilots comprising vast majority of our numbers. Above this general population of qualified, well trained, proficient, and well intentioned pilots, there appears to be an elite group that take our profession to a higher level. Not only do they embody the higher ideals of aviation professionalism, they seem to employ a toolbox of techniques and perspectives that virtually guarantee their success even with rare, complex, and challenging situations. What seems to divide the main group of Proficient pilots and the smaller group of Master Class pilots is how their perspectives change as they reach their comfort zones. Proficient pilots tend to settle into their comfort zones and reduce their attention level during redundant, repetitive line flying. They match their attention level with their perception of complexity and difficulty. This is a natural human reaction toward perceived workload. Master Class pilots, however, resist the tendency to settle into their comfort zones. Instead, they modulate their attention level both by phase of flight and by perceived system complexity. As a result, Proficient pilots are more likely to miss emerging conditions and react with surprise when unexpected conditions emerge. Master Class pilots are better positioned to anticipate emerging problems and respond deliberately. This skill requires years of practice, diligence, and a commitment to life long learning.

My book, Master Airline Pilot: Applying Human Factors to Reach Peak Performance and Operational Resilience, strives to identify these Master Class skills and attributes, show the techniques that support them, and guide the process for pursuing the Master Class path. The 26 chapters are divided into to four sections: Core Concepts, Techniques, Challenging and Non-Normal Operations, and Professionalism. I include over 100 cases studies, pilot reports, and hypothetical situations to explore the many facets of the Master Class skillset.

This forum is offered as an on-going discussion group to expand upon the many human factors analyses and situational nuances that surround crew aviation. In the “Discussion Topics” section, I will present topics for group dialogue and analysis. Everyone is encouraged to join each discussion. I also include an “Event Discussion” section to examine particular situations and line-flying scenarios. Next, is an “Ask the Author” section to ask me questions that everyone might find useful. The “Aviation Topics in the News” section allows us to share information on aviation current events. Finally, a “Crew Lounge” section allows anyone to submit whatever aviation topics are on their mind.