The advisory circular is written for air carrier operators, which underscores the fact that CRM was originally conceived with multi-pilot cockpits in mind. This is because the idea of CRM grew out of a recognition that the old ways, in which an autocratic captain ruled the cockpit and may or may not have delegated tasks, was inefficient at best and resulted in accidents at worst. Sharing responsibility, dividing the workload, and using all of the tools and resources at your disposal to ensure a safe flight makes more sense than having one person shoulder the entire burden.
Today there is growing recognition that the CRM concept is just as appropriate in a single-pilot cockpit as it is in an airliner with two or three pilots up front, a handful of flight attendants in the cabin, company dispatchers on the ground, and an in-house maintenance department at home base. Obviously, a solo pilot flying a single-engine airplane doesn't have those same human resources to draw on, but that doesn't mean he or she has to go it alone. Charles Lindbergh may have had to rely solely on his skill and cunning to complete his trans-Atlantic crossing in 1927, but pilots of today have lots of help. All we have to do is know which tools are available to us and how to use them.
I know a retired computer company executive who owns and flies a single-pilot business jet and is a devotee of CRM. Safety is his overriding concern, and he has devoted a lot of thought to establishing procedures that reduce his exposure to risk. Many of those procedures are based on the CRM concept.
The first resource available to a single pilot is, of course, himself or herself. My jet pilot acquaintance begins a flight by preflighting himself to ensure that he is medically and mentally up to the task and that his knowledge and skill levels are appropriate to the flight.
Next, he considers weather, day or night flight, and familiar or new runways to determine whether he can land safely at the intended destination or should seek an alternate.
En route he navigates direct using his GPS, but he always keeps his VOR/DMEs tuned and checked as backup. He also listens to the weather reports at airports along the route, and he continuously updates the weather report at the destination airport. To guard against the boredom that comes easily when cruising for several hours at high altitude, he reviews the 51 emergency/abnormal checklists for his airplane, reciting each checklist item and gesturing as if he were performing the required action.
Perhaps the most important function of the CRM system he uses is the way it makes him view his role. He never really flies single-pilot, he says. He is the captain and flight manager, and the autopilot is the pilot flying for all but the takeoff and landing. He thinks the autopilot is a great copilot because it always does what it is told and only what it is told, and does it more precisely than a human could. The captain (the pilot not flying) has only to verify that the autopilot has been given the proper commands and is following them.
An autopilot is a wonderful CRM tool, but it can be a hazard if the captain doesn't fully understand how to operate and monitor it. For example, the autopilot in the airplane I fly does not control the pitch trim. If I use the autopilot to initiate and maintain a descent but do not adjust for nose-down pitch trim, the trim annunciator on the mode controller begins to blink, alerting me to the out-of-trim condition. If my scan is weak and I don't notice the annunciator, the trim forces could eventually overpower the autopilot, causing it to disconnect. The effect would be an immediate pitch-up-a startling and disorienting situation for any pilot. If you fly with this kind of copilot, the rule to follow is know thy autopilot.
Not all small aircraft have autopilots, of course, but pilots still have lots of CRM resources at hand. A headset with boom mike and a control yoke push-to-talk switch are great workload-reduction tools because they leave your hands free to fly the airplane. Other controls mounted on the yoke, such as a transponder ident button or electric pitch trim, do the same thing.
Most GPS and loran receivers have flight plan modes that allow you to enter and store multiple flight plans. Programming and then using a GPS or loran flight plan for a cross-country trip is a good way to stay organized and ahead of the progress of the flight. The caveat is to monitor the GPS or loran to ensure its accuracy, and tune and use your VORs to verify your course.
A single pilot using good CRM will count air traffic control as a vital resource. If you are flying VFR, request radar traffic advisories. Not only does this give you an extra set of eyes to watch for traffic conflicts, but it also means that you are in direct, constant radar and voice communication with controllers. They know precisely where you are, and they can help if you encounter problems such as deteriorating weather.
Of course, you aren't likely to encounter deteriorating weather if you periodically check in with flight service en route. Along with the latest observation at your destination airport, ask for en route weather and applicable notams. When it comes to weather, you don't want any surprises.
CRM for single pilots begins with a point of view. Think of yourself as the flight manager and captain, and your crew as the tools at your disposal. Your job is to manage the use of those tools to reach the desired outcome-a safe and enjoyable flight.
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