Pressing the limits

Flying Safety, March, 2002 by Alvin A. III Brunner

"A man's got to know his limitations." Harry Callahan (of Dirty Harry fame)

There isn't a pilot around who hasn't pressed or outright busted "the limits," either intentionally 4r unintentionally, at one time or another while flying an aircraft. "The limits" can be anything--an engine ops limit, G limits, weather minima, etc. What's funny is that the consequences vary widely--from a minor nuisance that could cause embarrassment to one that could kill you. So, how does one treat "the limits"?

Since there are so many limits to consider in aviation, I want to focus on those involving judgement. Air Force Instructions guide our conduct in the air and set a framework for our judgment. It's judgment that can get us into the most trouble. Not to belittle those physical limits of engine and airframe, but pilots generally regard such limits as absolutes which they only occasionally--and unintentionally--exceed. If those limits are intentionally exceeded, it's the result of a desperate situation which forced some conscious decision making. It's these situations that require our flying judgment, and these are the kinds of limits I'm talking about--ones that demand a conscious, cognitive process. While AFIs guide our conduct in the air, they don't cover everything, and they don't replace sound judgment or airmanship.

A personal example: I was a young RC-135 instructor evaluator, well-seasoned and hitting the top of my skill and expertise. The crew and I were returning to Kadena from another long operational reconnaissance mission. All was routine; only some broken clouds over the field at about 5000 feet AGL. On the one hand, I was confident and I had an experienced crew to back me up, so I was complacent. On the other hand, I was tired. The combination led to poor attention management, which in turn left me behind on my descent to the field. I was very high on final at eight NM. Of course, the last thing I wanted was to prolong our already lengthy flight time. Besides, my pilot pride was on the line.

One thing the RC-135 can do very well is quickly lose altitude due to its increased, drag, and my gut (skill and experience) told me I could still make the field. So with gear, flaps and idle, I took my crew on a "space shuttle" approach. During this time, both Approach Control and my copilot asked if I needed to do a 360 on final to lose altitude. Each time I insisted we would be fine. My Crew Resource Management skills had obviously faltered, since I failed to detect the grave concern in my copilot's voice or that of my silent navigators. Allow me to continue the tale of this near-debacle...

I had to ensure I had the engines spooled up, on power, on speed, on glidepath and on course at 200 feet AGL; otherwise, I'd have to go around, after a big "I told you so" from my copilot. But fortune smiled, and I made a smooth landing. Once we cleared the runway, I thought about what had just transpired, turned to the copilot and yelled "Don't you ever try that! That was one of the more stupid things I've done." I'd just realized I hadn't shown my copilot and crew "superior skill;" I had only shown them my poor judgment.

So what can be learned from this and any of a myriad of stories that could be told about pressing the limits of personal skill and judgment? Simple: Remember the old adage, "A superior pilot uses his superior judgment to avoid those situations requiring his superior skill." In other words, a superior pilot knows the rules, regulations and restrictions. Furthermore he sets some personal limitations for likely situations. This is a very common practice for instructor pilots teaching Undergraduate Pilot Training or Replacement Training Unit/Formal Training Unit students.

For example, as I mentioned before, if my RC-135 isn't in the slot at 200 feet AGL, it's go-around time. Naturally, this will vary with different situations, aircraft and weather. That 200-foot slot limit is for day VFR when my "karma" is good. If it's been a long day, or it's the second go of the day, then it changes to meet the circumstances. But remember, these are my limits.

So how does one figure out what his personal limits are? Again, the answer is simple: Experience. And the best source of such experience is talking to crusty old pilots and reading various flying articles like this one. As the saying goes, "Learn from others' mistakes; you won't live long enough to make them all on your own." Talk to your fellow aviators. Discuss various situations they've encountered, or ones that might occur, and find out how to best handle them. This can be done in the bar or ready room. It's especially appropriate during mission planning. If you do this you'll be on your way to becoming a better aviator.

Not only is it sound planning and common sense, but it's also ORM without all the regimen. Know what you're going to do ahead of time for various situations, because "A man's got to know his limitations."