Situational Awareness

During a post-flight discussion with another instructor the conversation turned to the term ‘Situational Awareness’ and what I thought it meant.  My take on the term is that depending on the planned flight for the day true situational awareness starts way before you get to the airport, and involves a number of tasks, and observations.

Here is a list of ideas to help you be ahead of the airplane:

1. Waking Up (before the airport)- Have you watched the weather for the past few days to see what is generally in store for your flight.  Have you planned the flight by laying out the charts and highlighting the route? Going someplace new-get a picture of the airport and it’s surroundings.  Have a methodical process (a checklist) of need to know, and nice to know information to help solidify the plan.
2. Walking Up (before pre-flight)- A through pre-flight is expected, but did you observe the airplane from a distance and note any problems before you got up close.  Tie-down ropes a little loose-maybe the last guy was in a hurry and left other things undone.   What if the flight log shows a quart of oil being added every other day?  Are you suspicious or curious about where all that oil went?
3. Taking Off (pattern-runway-communication-‘wind-aware’)- When you listen to the ASOS/AWOS/ATIS does it make sense.  I have had opportunity to fly with individuals who listened to the current information, and then taxied to the wrong runway based on wind information, even doing the run-up downwind.  During another recent flight, stood on the ramp waiting for passengers to arrive and noticed that airplanes in the pattern were landing downwind.  ATIS said winds ‘variable’, but ASOS indicated a strong tailwind on the runway in use.  On taxi out advised ground control of our need to takeoff opposite traffic (but into the wind).Listen to others on the radio and form a picture of the local traffic.  This applies to controlled fields too-listen before you speak-think before you transmit.
4. Flying About (VFR/IFR)- On a VFR flight keep your finger on the chart and your eyes and ears pealed for traffic.   Practice keeping track of where you are even when you spend the time doing airwork.  GPS direct to home base works, but if you departed and headed west then even after 5 or 10 steep turns and some stalls the airport should still be east of you.For the IFR cross-country do you have a plan and an awareness of where VFR conditions exist?  If all the radios and other electronic marvels fail, can you find your way to the nearest VFR conditions?
5. Coming Home (planning-pattern-patter [talk])- Returning to the airport is a lot like departing- plan ahead, think before you speak, and be clear in your communications.

Some of the ideas seem simple and maybe even redundant, but how often have you heard a radio transmission from another pilot and not been able to figure out where they are or even what they said.  How many pilots have to stray into a published TFR before we all get the message to check and plan before you go, and then keep track of where you are.

Generally pilots are a skeptical group when it comes to the airplane and environment around them.  Use all your powers of observation to help make every flight a safe and enjoyable one.

Tell us your ideas that help you to be a more aware pilot.