Flying Life: Committed to memory
Do you know enough about your airplane?
In aviation, we often pride ourselves on knowing every detail of the flying world. We memorize specifics like the model number of the engine or the optimal PSI of the nosewheel tire. I have a friend we fondly call the walking FAR/AIM. He can cite chapter and verse with incredible powers of recall. I am always impressed by pilots who can spout off these facts, but I must confess that I am not one of them. Maybe in my past, when I only flew one or two airplanes, I might have been able to impress with my keen knowledge of a Cessna 172, but I have slowly let those details slip. In the training world, we call it the iceberg problem. There are only so many penguins that can fit on a single iceberg. So it goes with the capacity for information in our brains. When a new concept arrives, another must leave to make room for it. Whether or not the penguin analogy holds true (I suspect some people’s icebergs, like mine, are just a bit smaller than others), I’d like to make a case for limiting the amount of memorization we subject ourselves to, if only for sanity’s sake.
As an FAA designated pilot examiner, I’ve formed some pretty serious opinions on the subject of what should be committed to memory. Here’s how it works. If the information is of a time critical nature—typically information you would want to know in the air—that should be a memory item. But, if the information is more ground-based, such as reporting rules for an accident versus incident, that’s something that could be looked up in the leisure of an air-conditioned building. I’d like to make a case for memorizing the following list of essential items:
Immediate actions. If my airplane is on fire, I want to know what to do about it, and fast. There are three fire situations I always memorize for any airplane I fly: fire on engine start, in-flight engine fire, and electrical fire. I’ve experienced two of the three and will always be grateful I knew exactly what to do before the fire was strong enough to harm me or my airplane. I think most people would agree the procedure for engine roughness or failure is also important. Most pilot’s operating handbooks have certain checklist items printed in bold lettering. Do yourself a favor and commit those to memory before you have to use them.
Dangerous weather encounters. Although most of us take great pains to avoid encountering bad weather, there is always the possibility that it could happen. The “that would never happen to me” mindset is naive at best. If it’s a thunderstorm, slow down to maneuvering speed and accept heading and altitude deviations to prevent structural damage. If it’s icing, change altitudes to get away from the freezing level and keep your speed up on landing to compensate for the higher stall speed.
Airspace and weather minimums. I know there are people groaning when they read this one, but I really think these two are memory-worthy items. No one wants to work hard to earn a rating only to get violated when you unintentionally bust the floor of Class B airspace without the required clearance. Likewise, knowing the proper distance to stay away from clouds will keep you safe and reduce the risk of a midair collision.
Spin/stall recovery procedure. Really, you do not want to be rotating toward the ground at a rapid rate and trying to read a checklist. Enough said.
Regulations that apply to in-the-air scenarios. I’m talking about minimum safe altitudes, right-of-way rules, lost radio procedures, and the like. But the majority of regulations can be easily looked up as long as you have a working knowledge of the FAR/AIM. If I discover something broken on a preflight, I see no shame in referring to FAR 91.213 and 91.205 to determine airworthiness.
Basic systems understanding. What are the sources of power for the different systems on my aircraft? If I lose all electrical power, what will stop working? If I turn that fuel pump switch off, will my engine quit? If I get ice on the static port, what sort of problems will I have? The finer details, such as engine horsepower or the amount of voltage to specific components, are something that can be quickly looked up if the information is needed.
I intentionally make this memory list short not so we can let ourselves off the hook, but so that we can focus on the things that matter. I consider it a valuable skill to be able to effectively use our resources, whether that’s the FAR, a checklist, or the legend on a sectional chart. I realize some of you will disagree with me. Perhaps you think there are additional items that should be added to the list? I welcome the conversation.
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