Nobody likes to get rained on! Pilots are taught everything they need to know about weather, thunderstorms and clouds, and they know it’s best to stay out of the clouds. Don’t take off unless you’re sure you can land! This can also be interpreted as: Don’t start a project unless you’re sure you can follow through, or always finish what you started.

Landing is mandatory: True in the most literal sense for pilots, this rule applies to everyone. Whether you get your energy from endless cups of coffee or a healthy diet, it’s important to feed the system so it keeps running. Nothing flies without fuel:Īn airplane obviously won’t fly without fuel, and humans can’t fly without energy. Whenever you make a decision, make sure you leave yourself another option in case things don’t go as planned. Pilots do this by planning for alternate routes, taking extra fuel and always looking for an emergency landing spot, even when there isn’t an emergency. Never get yourself backed into a corner with nowhere to go. Probably the most important rule for pilots, leaving yourself an “out,” means never getting into a situation you can’t get out of safely.

We can employ a similar tactic if we face an emergency on the ground: Act first, get your bearings, and then call home! 2. The axiom “Aviate, Navigate, Communicate” teaches pilots to fly the airplane first, then navigate, and once the situation is under control, communicate. In one accident involving Eastern Airlines Flight 401, the pilots became so distracted by a burned-out indicator light in the cockpit that they actually flew the airplane into the ground. Aviation studies have found that pilots get so focused on solving a problem in an emergency that they sometimes forget to fly the airplane. In the aviation world, this is a common approach to all flying situations, especially emergency conditions.

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