Of the five, invulnerability is the one that has always stood out to me as especially dangerous. Pilots who feel invulnerable think that accidents only happen to others. It reminds me of young drivers who feel that, regardless of how unsafely they operate their vehicle, they won’t be involved in an accident. As we become older and our brains fully develop, that feeling of invulnerability diminishes. But the above-mentioned hazardous attitudes can still make an appearance.

Pilots who think they’re invulnerable are going to take chances, push the boundaries, exercise poor judgment, and in general exhibit risky behavior and decision making. That’s all attributable to their general attitude that nothing bad will happen to them no matter how recklessly they fly. Accidents only happen to other people. Until the accident happens to them.

The antidote to this hazardous attitude is knowing that accidents can happen to you. But we can’t just go from having a hazardous attitude to implementing the antidote. In between those two is the important step of recognition.

Pilots who regularly assess their readiness to fly—which includes mental, emotional, as well as physical fitness—are disciplined to take an unbiased assessment of their well=being. For example, if there is a temptation to begin a VFR flight knowing there is a good chance of encountering instrument meteorological conditions en route, it’s important to stop and evaluate why you are willing to take that risk. If the answer is because you are invulnerable, neutralize that thought by reminding yourself that an accident can happen to you. Because of that, you’ll need to have backup plans to minimize risk if the weather does indeed deteriorate.

Sometimes we don’t see these attitudes in ourselves. One way to shift our mindset is to learn about accidents that resulted from such attitudes, and how to avoid them. Read accident reports, participate in online learning, and attend safety meetings in your community.

More information about aeronautical decision making and the five hazardous attitudes can be found in Chapter 2 of the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge.