So how can you incorporate the 3P risk management model into your
training practices, and how can you help your clients develop the
habit of a continuous risk management "scan?" There
are many ways to approach this question, but here are two methods
you might try out in both your flight training work and your own
personal flying.
Ask Questions.
At the quickest and most fundamental level, using the 3P method
of practical risk management can be as simple as requiring your
students to ask and answer a few basic questions before every flight.
For example:
-
To perceive, ask "what can hurt me, my passengers,
or my aircraft?"
-
To process, ask "how can this hazard hurt me, and
how badly?"
-
To perform, ask "what can I do to make sure this
hazard does not hurt me or anyone else?"
Use Checklists.
For those (like me) who need or want a more structured approach
to using the 3P model, here are three simple checklists that can
be associated with each of the three components:
To help students perceive (cross-check) the hazards
in all critical areas associated with a flight, encourage use of the
PAVE checklist to identify hazards. Specifically:
- PILOT: What hazards are associated with the pilot
(e.g., training, total experience, recent experience, physical and
emotional health).
- AIRCRAFT: What hazards are associated with the aircraft?
Does it have the right equipment? Is it in good mechanical condition?
- ENVIRONTMENT: What hazards are associated with the airport
to be used? Are the runways long enough? What kind of terrain will the
flight encounter? What are the weather conditions? Will the route cover
controlled or restricted airspace?
- EXTERNAL PRESSURES: What are the external pressures likely to
affect the pilot's decision-making? Are there urgent reasons to proceed?
Will passenger pressure be an issue? What alternatives are available?
To help pilots process (interpret) the possible impact
and likelihood of each hazard identified through the PAVE checklist
and begin to think about risk controls, use the CARE checklist:
- CONSEQUENCES: What are the possible outcomes (consequences)
posed by each of the hazards identified with the PAVE checklist? Hint:
Think about likelihood and severity for each one.
- ALTERNATIVES: What are the alternative courses of action
available to you?
- REALITY: What is the reality of the situation? Wishful
thinking that it will "probably" be okay can lead to very poor
decisions.
- EXTERNAL PRESSURES: Ask yourself again what external
pressures will affect not only the initial go/no-go decision, but also
the continue/divert decision once you are airborne.
To help pilots perform risk management, use the ME
checklist:
- MITIGATE: What can I do to mitigate (reduce) the risk
posed by each hazard I have identified?
- ELIMINATE: Can I completely eliminate any of the hazards
and their associated risk?
Putting it all together creates a continuous process much like the
cross-check, interpretation, and control steps of the familiar
instrument scan.
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