Takeoff and landing. Preflight and post-flight. Weather and route. Fuel and oil. Ask any pilot what the two most important things are on any flight, and you may very well get one of the above answers. After all, who can argue about the importance of taking off and landing? You can't fly without the first, and once airborne, the second is going to happen whether you want it to or not. Likewise, you can't fly without fuel, and the engine won't run without oil.
But in the big scheme of things, these are all small particulars, pieces of the bigger puzzle. Sometimes in the hunt for details, you can find yourself focusing on the wrong details. So, just what are the two most important things on any flight? The answer is startlingly simple: the next two things.
Every flight is a series of small steps. As a student pilot, it is easy to feel overwhelmed for the first several hours of training, but in time, you get more comfortable, in part because you realize the patterns that develop. For instance, it doesn't take long to learn that the preflight is followed by the engine start, followed by the runup, then takeoff, and so on. Within those steps are a number of intermediate steps that are determined by the type of airplane you are flying, the airport where you are training, and the preferences of your instructor.
Once airborne, the same thing occurs. In due time, you realize that one of the keys to remember is to stay ahead of the airplane--that is, think about what is coming next. Because an airplane moves so much faster than anything in our normal ground-bound environment, and because it moves in a third dimension of ups and downs, it is necessary to think several steps ahead. It's almost like a game of chess or football, where one or more moves or plays are designed to
set up a desired situation later in the game. Or a boxer, who is always ready for the next punch.
For example, for a student planning a long cross-country, the sight of long course lines on the chart can be daunting. However, if landmarks are picked out every five to 10 miles, each of these smaller segments can be thought of as mini-cross-country flights. Within each segment, you will have several things to do: look for traffic, monitor your altitude, keep tabs on your fuel, and compare your preflight estimates with your actual performance. When you are still 50 miles
from your destination, you cannot be thinking about your landing, but you should be concerned about fuel performance thus far in the flight. After all, it's possible that a headwind will require changing your destination, and therefore also change the challenges you may encounter on landing.
Sometimes you have a little more time to process what the next two things are. While you are waiting in line for departure, you can think about what your course of action will be if you lose the engine below 1,000 feet. But once you are rolling down the runway, you need to be past thinking about that, and be concentrating on achieving rotation speed and correcting for the wind. Once airborne, you need to be thinking about looking for traffic and flying the correct heading. In controlled airspace, you will be thinking about whom you will be talking to next. Soon enough, you will be thinking about your vertical speed and when you can begin to level off.
Cruise flight, obviously, is a less busy time, and your next two things will usually be a rhythmic pattern of questions such as, "Where am I?" and "Is the performance on this flight in terms of winds, groundspeed, and fuel burn meeting my preflight calculations?" If not, you will need to have a backup plan. You should have already thought about that. Most of cruise flight is a chance to enjoy the thrill of flying, which is why you are there in the first place. Look outside, not just for traffic and to confirm your checkpoints, but to enjoy the view.
As you approach your destination, you will need to start thinking ahead faster, and handling more tasks at once. When you are in radio range, get the surface weather, so that you can start planning your descent and approach.
Weather at your destination in hand, the next two things start happening quickly. You must plan your arrival into the traffic pattern for the runway in use, the descent and approach checklists need to be completed, and you may want to take a moment to study the airport diagram so that you have a plan for taxiing. Congested airports with potential for runway incursions demand even more attention. If you are communicating with air traffic control (ATC) you must do all of this without missing any radio calls. Pretty soon, you are in the pattern, and a sense of familiarity should take over. Abeam the numbers, reduce power, add flaps, start descent, make a turn to base--it all comes naturally at this point.
But when might the next two things not be enough? Do you ever need to think three or even four steps ahead? How about during certain emergencies? Near the ground (let's say less than 1,000 feet), you already should know what you will do if the engine fails. But what if you are higher than that, especially if you are in cruise flight? A mechanical failure in cruise flight is most likely going to be some kind of fuel problem. It might be self-induced, or it might be carb ice or induction icing. It might even be a fuel leak.
The point is, now you have to think even further in advance because of the possibility of an off-airport landing. Saving the airplane would be nice, but nobody really cares about the airplane; it can be rebuilt or replaced. Your safety is paramount. That means you need to make an immediate evaluation about how much time you have until you land. From that you will need to determine the extent of your troubleshooting efforts. Then, you need to jump ahead to see where you will most likely be landing. Although an airport would be great, it seems like there is never one around when you need it. If you run the risk of being abandoned, you want to get the word out as soon as possible. A call to ATC on your current frequency or on the emergency frequency (121.5 MHz) will set the wheels in motion.
The point here is to take into account how the smaller pictures make up the larger mosaic of every flight. One way to gain proficiency is to sit in a chair in front of a poster of your airplane's cockpit and put yourself through the paces of what you will do in various situations. While you are training, your instructor should be doing this at all times (this is actually one of the joys of teaching). You can also do this just reading the pilot's operating handbook and studying how the aircraft manufacturer wants you to fly the airplane in certain situations.
The two most important things on any flight will always be at least the next two things. By staying ahead of the airplane, and flying the airplane versus letting the airplane fly you, you will revel in conquering the challenges of flying--especially as you move up into bigger and faster equipment. And by conquering those challenges, you will experience even more joy and progression in your skills and confidence.
Christopher L. Parker is a CFI and an aviation author, speaker, and FAA remedial training specialist. He flies as a contract captain on a Bombardier Challenger business jet.
