am I prepared for this flight....

[avee8tor13]

I have tried to analyze and crawl into people's mind set, especially those poor RV souls which are no longer with us today. I have come to the realization, there will always be pilots and there will always be accidents and deaths.

I started to think about the checklist thing and it makes sense. For example, we have checklists for engine overhauls, preflight inspection, takeoff, in flight emergencies, landings, etc....

What would a checklist for my physical well being or mental state look like before I crawl into the cockpit look like?

Thoughts?

[Russ McCutcheon]

I?m only 41 years old but some days I don?t feel like going flying, whether it be mental or physical. I don?t have a check list for this, I simply go flying when I feel like it and don?t if I don?t feel like it, I have even canceled short day trips with the wife as late as actually getting to the airport, telling here I just don?t feel like flying today, go for a walk and go back home. If you don?t feel like going then don?t! Good topic, I bet other pilots are the same.

[terrykohler]

IM SAFE - This one's been around for a long while and can be found in most flying publications:



IM SAFE
IM SAFE! but just how safe are you?
An explanation in to the IMSAFE acronym

As a pilot you are required to be responsible for your fitness to fly on any given day. Of
course, we all have our off days and sometimes it would be better to stay at home. A useful
mnemonic to remember the problems that may arise is IM SAFE:

Make sure you carry out the IM SAFE checklist each time before you fly. Perhaps place it on
your aircraft pre take off checks so that you will never forget it.

Illness
Even a minor illness suffered in day-to-day living can seriously degrade performance of many
piloting tasks vital to safe flight. The safest rule is not to fly while suffering from any illness. If
this rule is considered too stringent for a particular illness, the pilot should contact an Aviation
Medical Examiner for advice. If you?re ill or under the weather don?t fly. You?ll feel worse in the
air.

Medication
Pilot performance can be seriously degraded by both prescribed and over-the-counter
medications, as well as by the medical conditions for which they are taken.
Many drugs, either prescribed, over the counter or illicit will make you unfit to fly. Make sure
your doctor knows you are a pilot.

Stress
Stress from everyday living can impair performance, often in very subtle ways. Stress and
fatigue (lack of adequate rest) can be an extremely hazardous combination.

Alcohol
Extensive research has provided a number of facts about hazards of alcohol consumption
and flying. As little as one measure of spirit, one bottle of beer or a glass of wine can impair
flying skills dramatically.
Leave at least 8 hours between consuming even small quantities of alcohol and flying.

Fatigue
Fatigue and lack of adequate sleep continue to be some of the most treacherous hazards to
flight safety, as it may not be apparent to a pilot until serious errors are made.
Do not fly if you?re tired or have not had enough sleep.

Emotion and Eating
The emotions of anger, depression, and anxiety may lead to taking risks that border on self-
destruction. If you were planning a three hour flight at 1400 and you hadn't eaten or drunk
anything since 8:00, then be warned: Being low on hydration and having low blood-sugar
levels will result in poor performance indeed. Eat sensibly and don?t miss meals. Take
something to eat and drink on a long flight. It is vital to guard against dehydration. Remember
that donating blood will make you temporarily unfit to fly

PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version http://www.pdffactory.com

Hope this helps.
Terry , CFI
RV9A N323TP

[cvav8or]

I like the IM SAFE system, it hits on all the major physiological aspects we as aviators encounter throughout our day to day lives. In the Navy we have a small section in our Preflight Briefing guide titled ORM (Operational Risk management). For my specific platform it reads as follows:

ORM:
Mission / Crew / Environment (WX / Airfield / OPAREA / Terrain) / Equipment / Human Factors.

This is a broad overview but if you look at it and hit every one you are pretty much covered.

Mission: Is the accomplishment of this mission worth the risk, are we trained and prepared to accomplish this mission, what risks stem form this mission that may be out of the ordinary or different from more standard flights, etc.

Crew: Have we flown together as a crew before, What can each of us expect from each other, What are our main responsibilities, How will we break up critical tasks, etc.

Environment (WX / Airfield / OPAREA / Terrain): Are we day, night, VFR, or IFR, Will we be landing at Dusk or Dawn where the sun angles can cause things to look different than were used to, Is the airfield full up or are certain taxiways and runways closed or partially closed, Where are we operating and where are the nearest diverts, What sort of terrain are we flying over and what can we expect should we end up on the ground.

Equipment: Is the aircraft full up and safe to fly, are there any past issues that we may encounter on this flight, any quirky things that only this airplane does and none of the others do, etc.

Human Factors: This is more in line with the topic and where one could utilize the IM SAFE system. For us it includes a few basic things like, crew rest, stress, personal issues that may affect your ability to safely operate as an effective aircrew. Things that one may be unable to compartmentalize like family problems, relationship problems, financial problems, a recent death of a family member or friend, etc.

All this is as basic or in-depth as you want to get but all in all if covered it's a great way to look at the main areas of the flight you're about to take and determine if you are ready to take to the skies, both mentally and physically.

cvav8or