While paging through the most recent edition of the FARs, I wondered why the most important ones - the ones that matter most, the ones that are really supposed to get our attention - were not grouped together under a heading titled "Part 1: The Twelve Regulations You Really Have to Follow." Nothing in life is quite that simple or clear-cut, so I went through the whole book and tried to find them for you. What I found were "The Twelve Golden Rules" as interpreted by the FAA through the regulations.
You see, "The Twelve Golden Rules" really aren't published anywhere. You kind of figure them out as you fly along and gather experience. So this is the result of my search for the dozen or so FARs or sections of the Aeronautical Information Manual that go hand in hand with what I've discovered over the years to be the Twelve Golden Rules of Aviation. All twelve are important; they are not presented in any particular order.
1. Obtain a weather briefing.
A great way to ruin a great day of flying is to go dashing off into the wild blue yonder not knowing what the wild blue yonder has in store for you - and wild it very well could be. Fast-moving cold fronts with thunderstorm activity, moderate to severe turbulence, wind shear, fog, low-pressure systems with low ceilings and visibilities - you name it. Checking out the weather before any flight not in the vicinity of an airport (essentially any flying other than touch-and-go pattern work) is required under FAR 91.103(a), Preflight Action.
Go ahead; call the flight service station for a standard weather briefing (800/WX-BRIEF). They're really nice people, and they really know their weather.
2. Don't buzz your friend's house (or anyone else's).
Buzzing - performing a loud, high-airspeed dive that ends at a low altitude - is a temptation usually fueled by a disregard for the safety of those in the aircraft and those on the ground. It is caused by stupidity and a total lack of respect for the privilege to fly. So-called pilots who buzz houses probably do not even understand the words in FAR 91.13(a), Careless or Reckless Operation, but I'll repeat them anyway. "No person may operate an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another."
FAR 91.119, the companion regulation to this, outlines minimum safe altitudes: 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft, and 500 feet agl over other than congested areas. (Pilot beware: nearly invisible radio/TV transmission towers and guy wires are lurking within your airspace. See "Insights: The Big Lie," June AOPA Flight Training.)
Nowhere does it say that flying 50 feet above a friend or relative's house (or any structure, for that matter) at full throttle is a really impressive thing to try. However, this maneuver may help you to achieve a position six feet under. I highly recommend that you properly channel any desires for unusual-attitude precision flying by enrolling in a formal aerobatic flight course. You will become a much more precise, confident, and accomplished aviator in the process. FAR 91.303 defines aerobatic flight. I'll define it as some of the best flying hours that you will ever invest in your aviation career.
3. Ensure that you are proficient.
We all must periodically demonstrate our proficiency in the air (and on the ground) to maintain our privilege to fly. For airline crews, this is accomplished every six months in a high-tech simulator. If not gainfully employed by an airline, this proficiency is demonstrated every two years in a flight review (FAR 61.56) consisting of a minimum of one hour of flight training and one hour of ground instruction every two years.
Why not double your proficiency (and who knows, maybe even the fun) by accomplishing a flight review every year? There's no regulation against extra proficiency, and flying with a friendly CFI in a no-stress situation could be very beneficial. Or, obtain credit for a flight review by participating in an FAA Wings pilot proficiency seminar.
FAR 61.57 addresses Recent Flight Experience: Pilot in Command. To be PIC of an aircraft carrying passengers we know we must have made three takeoffs and landings within the preceding 90 days. Why not take this one step further and do an hour of takeoffs and landings every three months - or even every month? Besides, takeoffs and landings are arguably the most fun part of any air adventure.
Cap off this golden rule by studying more often. Study your pilot's operating handbook, the FARs, the AIM, and various aviation weather texts. Supplement this by reading as many aviation books and magazines as you can just for enjoyment.
4. Be free of physical or emotional impairment.
Even though you passed your last physical nearly two years ago, that doesn't mean you are fit for flight today. It has been said that you are only as good as your last landing, and this logic applies to your physical or mental fitness for flight. A really bad day at the office probably won't improve in the cockpit of an airplane. Emotional stress causes fatigue, an inability to concentrate, and a lack of enthusiasm for getting the job done right. Don't put your limits to the test. FAR 91.17 covers the "eight hours from bottle to throttle" rule, and the AIM (Section 8) offers the I'M SAFE personal checklist: I'm physically and mentally safe to fly; not being impaired by Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, or Emotion.
5. Perform a thorough preflight.
The modern jet airliner has approximately 125 items to check before hitting the start switch. The single-engine trainer in which I teach has 42 items to check before turning the key. One thing that an aviator should never do is assume anything. Never assume the ship is OK because the previous renter or student pilot said so. FAR 91.7(a), Civil Aircraft Airworthiness, is very clear on this point. "No person may operate a civil aircraft unless it is in an airworthy condition." And this is where your training comes in. Do a picky preflight every time, the same way. Follow the guidance in the POH to the letter. Missing any of the items could potentially spoil your day. If there is a problem to be found, find it on the ground.
6. Go around.
Of all the various flight phases, landing is undoubtedly the most critical. Once you are airborne the fun begins, but what goes up must come down, quite necessarily safely and in one piece. So here is part A of the most golden of all golden rules: FAR 91.3(a) is more of an honor and privilege to uphold than anything else, stating that, "The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft." Our founding fathers might as well have written that one! With all the freedom comes all the responsibility. We as pilots wouldn't want it any other way, would we?
Exercise that responsibility until the airplane is safely tied down at the conclusion of your flight. If anything doesn't seem right on final - or if you simply flew a poor or unstabilized approach - don't try to salvage the landing, go around! Think of it this way: You get to fly for a few more minutes. Besides, you planned some extra fuel for just this sort of possibility.
7. Ensure that you have sufficient fuel.
How many accident reports have you read where the probable cause was fuel starvation or fuel exhaustion? Far too many. Yet this fundamental rule is broken time and again. FAR 91.151, Fuel Requirements for Flight in VFR Conditions, clearly states that after taking into account wind and forecast weather conditions, you must have enough fuel to fly to your first point of intended landing at normal cruising speed and then fly for 30 minutes after that during the day, or 45 minutes at night. The fact that this seems so obvious is what gets pilots into trouble. Did you cross-check the actual fuel level you observed during your preflight inspection with the fuel level indicated by the gauges? What about the cruise performance charts, range profile, and endurance profile charts for your airplane? Know how much fuel you require for the flight; don't guess. Then add a few extra gallons for the wife and kids, as they say.
Download the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's Fuel Awareness Safety Advisor from AOPA Online.
8. Fly with healthy skepticism.
"Murphy's Law" pretty much sums this one up: Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. Machines probably never will be immune to failure, despite our best efforts. Be prepared for any emergency caused by mechanical failure. Know your aircraft's emergency procedures, and enlist all the help you can get from the ground when confronted with an emergency situation without being distracted from your flying. In other words, fly the airplane first while you troubleshoot the problem. CRM or cockpit resource management is one of the most effective tools in your bag to show old Murphy. (See "Solo, but Not Alone: When trouble starts, who are you going to call?" page 48.) If something doesn't seem right, it probably isn't. Second-guessing is permissible in flying. FAR 91.7(b) covers it: "The pilot in command shall discontinue the flight when unairworthy mechanical, electrical, or structural conditions occur." Don't put your superior skills to the test by falling into the "I think I can do it" trap.
9. Avoid adverse weather.
When confronted with bad weather, a one-eighty is a VFR pilot's best friend. Thunderstorms, low ceilings, or low visibility are good reasons to turn 180 degrees and look for a safe place to land. Respect FAR 91.155, Basic VFR Weather Minimums, and you will be rewarded with a safe flying career. Class C and D airspace requires three statute miles' visibility and a distance from clouds of 500 feet below, 1,000 feet above, and 2,000 feet horizontal. Keep this in mind as you receive your weather briefing. And if you would like to brush up on your weather knowledge, review the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's Weather Tactics and Weather Strategies safety advisors on AOPA Online.
10. You never have to get there now.
Of all the Golden Rules, this one - believe it or not - probably has claimed more aviators than any other. In the NTSB accident reports, it usually is reflected as a contributing factor, but to get into the mind of the fallen aviator, we'd probably see that get-home-itis was at the root of the accident. Other Golden Rules are broken leading up to this one.
It reminds me of the events in the pilot judgment error chain, where one error alone does not cause an accident, but several smaller ones lead to tragic consequences. If only the chain had been broken, the accident would have been avoided. Remember, you don't have to get home today. Sit things out and fly another day - or if you're already en route, divert to an alternate airport or return to your point of departure. It's interesting to note that the newspaper pictures showing the wreck the day after a weather-related accident always seem to show "nothing but blue skies," to quote the song lyrics.
11. Be prepared for emergencies.
For hours you have been training to handle emergencies, going through every conceivable scenario with your instructor, and then again during flight reviews. Knowledge erases fear, so get to know all of the POH procedures for the various emergencies that you may encounter. You may never face one in your whole career, thanks to the consistent reliability of today's aircraft.
However, the procedures are there for a reason, if you ever need to use them. I like to keep the engine failure checklist open and readily available prior to takeoff, even though I have memorized the procedure. Once airborne in cruise, I keep the Forced Landings pages ready. In the heat of the moment, calmly and systematically accomplishing each emergency checklist item will greatly enhance your chances for a successful outcome. After accomplishing your memory items, read and call out each numbered item individually to keep track of where you are and ensure that you don't miss an important item. Verbalize the checklist saying "Item one, airspeed - 70 kt; Item two, seat belt and shoulder harnesses - Secure," etc. (See FAR 91.107 on the use of safety belts.)
Periodically review anything that could possibly go wrong, and simulate - in your mind or in the airplane - how you would handle the emergency. If it really happens someday, you'll remember the practice exercises, and the real thing won't seem as threatening. "OK, I have a vacuum pump failure and have lost my vacuum-driven flight instruments. I've thought this one through before". FAR 91.3(b) is the most golden of the rules to use in an emergency: "In an in-flight emergency requiring immediate action, the pilot in command may deviate from any rule of this part to the extent required to meet that emergency."
12. Takeoffs should not exceed landings.
It has been said that "any landing you can walk away from is a good one." Such landings may not always be pretty, but defined within these terms, they are considered successful. My guess is that this phrase originated from World War I days when the average life expectancy of a Sopwith Camel aviator was maybe two weeks. Remember, however, that we are flying around in much more reliable airplanes - and the Red Baron's not trying to shoot us down while we're doing touch and goes in the pattern.
Your efforts to abide by all of the FARs and recommendations in the AIM will help you along on your quest to adhere to this golden rule - and make you a better pilot in the process.
Joel Stoller is a Douglas DC-9 captain for Midwest Airlines. He is also a part-time CFI who has more than 16,000 flying hours, including more than 600 hours of dual instruction.
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