A Pilot's Guide to Risk and Judgment

As a pilot, judgment means weighing the risks and rewards of a proposed flying activity and proceeding in a way that boosts the likelihood of a safe outcome. Victor G. Vogel has learned that predicting risks can be fraught with uncertainty— and various factors can be unanticipated or unforeseen. Whether it’s a surprise storm, unexpected mechanical failure, pilot illness, incapacitation, or something else, emergencies can occur at any time. However, for most flights, risks can be anticipated, weighed, managed, and mitigated successfully. Using examples from actual flying experiences, the author explores how general aviation pilots can safely fly small aircraft. He does so by sharing lessons he gleaned from over forty-five years of flying singleengine airplanes in all types of weather, over flat and mountainous terrain, during the day, and at night. Join the author as he shares insights and techniques that will give you the confidence to fly in any terrain, avoid dangerous weather, and conduct regular missions to distant, unfamiliar airports in a cautious, reliable way.