## Mitigating Risk 

Risk assessment is only part of the equation. 

One of the best ways single pilots can mitigate risk is to use the IMSAFE checklist to determine physical and mental readiness for flying: 

1. Illness—Am I sick? Illness is an obvious pilot risk. 

2. Medication—Am I taking any medicines that might affect my judgment or make me drowsy? 

3. Stress—Am I under psychological pressure from the job? Do I have money, health, or family problems? Stress causes concentration and performance problems. While the regulations list medical conditions that require grounding, stress is not among them. The pilot should consider the effects of stress on performance. 

4. Alcohol—Have I been drinking within 8 hours? Within 24 hours? As little as one ounce of liquor, one bottle of beer, or four ounces of wine can impair flying skills. Alcohol also renders a pilot more susceptible to disorientation and hypoxia. 

5. Fatigue—Am I tired and not adequately rested? Fatigue continues to be one of the most insidious hazards to flight safety, as it may not be apparent to a pilot until serious errors are made. 

6. Emotion—Am I emotionally upset? 

## The PAVE Checklist 

Another way to mitigate risk is to perceive hazards. By incorporating the PAVE checklist into preflight planning, the pilot divides the risks of flight into four categories: P ilot-in-command (PIC), A ircraft, en V ironment, and E xternal pressures (PAVE) which form part of a pilot’s decision-making process. 

With the PAVE checklist, pilots have a simple way to remember each category to examine for risk prior to each flight. 

Once a pilot identifies the risks of a flight, he or she needs to decide whether the risk, or combination of risks, can be managed safely and successfully. If not, make the decision to cancel the flight. If the pilot decides to continue with the flight, he or she should develop strategies to mitigate the risks. One way a pilot can control the risks is to set personal minimums for items in each risk category. These are limits unique to that individual pilot’s current level of experience and proficiency. 

## P = Pilot-in-Command (PIC) 

The pilot is one of the risk factors in a flight. The pilot must ask, “Am I ready for this flight?” in terms of experience, recency, currency, physical, and emotional condition. The IMSAFE checklist provides the answers. 

## A = Aircraft 

What limitations will the aircraft impose upon the trip? Ask the following questions: 

• Is this the right aircraft for the flight? 

• Am I familiar with and current in this aircraft? 

• Can this aircraft carry the planned load? 

