The Art of Mastering an Aircraft

Mastering the aircraft we are currently assigned to should be the ultimate goal of every pilot. That means knowing far more about the aircraft than what’s required/necessary to fly it safely from Point A to Point B. This is where being good enough at something is not good enough if you can be better at it. Just like being better at something isn’t good enough if you can be the best at it.

Like most other professional pilots I have accumulated my share of type ratings over the years. That has given me the chance to learn valuable lessons on how to master my current aircraft and, later on, the new type that follows.  Perhaps the most important lesson I’ve learned, however, is that to master my current aircraft I have to intentionally forget the previous one. I personally have very limited excess brain capacity and couldn’t possibly master my current aircraft if I was actively trying not to forget my previous one. 

So what next after we’ve made a decision to master our current aircraft? Well, how we go about mastering an aircraft varies greatly from one person to the next. What works for me may or may not necessarily work for someone else. So what works for me?

1.     Notes: notes allow me to dissect complex systems into smaller and easier to understand components. Writing things down reinforces my understanding of the subject matter and make it easier to quickly and frequently review these subjects. 

2.     Teach: there is no better way to master a complex subject than to teach it to someone else in the most simple of terms. 

3.     Practice: “practice until you get it right. Then, keep on practicing until you cannot get it wrong.” You can practice at home sitting on a chair to visualize and verbalize procedures. Then take every opportunity to do the same while sitting in the cockpit.

Mastering anything takes time, commitment, effort, consistency, discipline, and organization. But here is the kicker: it’s a process that never ends…and should never end. There will always be something about the subject matter we are trying to master that we still don’t know, and that’s ok as long as we continue the learning process. 

I’ve personally embarked on a quest to master the Gulfstream G650 and, although I know “far more about the aircraft than what’s required/necessary to fly it safely from Point A to Point B,” I’ll never truly master it…but I’ll get as close to doing so as I possible can.

What’s your technique?