What differentiates excellent pilots from those who struggle and fumble is not always just on-board skills and knowledge, it is processing speed (mental chronometry). Some speed is from native aptitude, but more can be built from familiarity with the task structure and environment (practice harder). Continued success and progress in any task come from a personal commitment to practice harder with increasing challenges and high personal goals.
To achieve enduring progress, “good enough” can never be the goal. Instead, you must model excellence and keep working toward it. With a goal of excellence, there is no end to learning and improving. Errors are inevitable, but with proper “reflective analysis” these are just “signposts for more study and practice.” The key is to capture and fix every error the first time with careful after-action reflection and redirection.
A tool related to processing speed is an attitude of 
“aggressive anticipation.” This moves the timeline in your favor creating more moments for situational awareness – “what’s now, what’s next?” This allows us to act thoughtfully rather than reactively; smarter rather than harder. Whenever you are surprised by a normal event in an airplane, you are getting behind – you have lost the advantage. Then your only strategy is to shed load down to essentials (“critical path level“) or slow the aircraft down to the speed of your mental ability. In busy Bravo environments delay is usually not an option.
GA-trained pilots transitioning to professional piloting are frequently caught in the “recreational mindset” (on the left of the Yerkes curve). This is the “fun flying” level of stimulation rather than the “hair on fire” level of motivation and commitment. Again, aiming at “good enough” rather than”excellent” may be your choice. But if you are committed to growth, step one is to honestly assess your current status and pursuing excellence. Develop a program of incrementally building mental speed with increasing challenges; stepping from Delta, to Charlie, to Bravo (and pick the slow times first). There is seldom slack time in NYC airspace, so you need a “critical path analysis” to eliminate extraneous tasks. (last night was an exception with KTEB tower working clearance/ground/tower on one freq) Usually, Bravo Airspace is not about “fun and games flying” but rather the exciting challenge of “beat the reaper.” SImulators and chair flying scenarios are great accelerators here.
When I started to fly daily in the NYC airspace, I already had >16K du
al given; I was a professional CFI/DPE. Consequently, my full-speed piloting skills were rusty – “right seat rust” is a fact! Additionally, most “by the book” techniques slow down the system and just don’t work in the accelerator. It’s critical to think and talk faster, eliminating extraneous words and actions. It was initially painful to simultaneously know exactly what I was doing wrong – as a veteran CFII – but also still be fumbling to build better habits and go faster. Fortunately, I had a good mentor who showed no mercy in getting me up to speed; “You are never fast enough!” In busy airspace, your IFR skills have to be absolutely superb (another time).
After that, five legs a day from KTEB to Nantucket or Martha’s Vinyard all IFR (first two crew then solo) was a great training ground;”bush flying in the Bravo.” There is no “droning time” on these flights, and when New York talks you gotta get it all in one shot – turn, climb/alt, speed, heading/fix. Don’t ask twice! You need the frequency entered before you even unkey the mic. Weekly trips into LaGuardia with slot times were the next step up in the crazy/busy escalation. Now I pilot a jet into Atlanta Peachtree and Midway as a single pilot. This is a true privilege, but definitely “game on” level of speed.
How do you build mental speed?
Read this excellent (FREE) article in Aviation Safety to get you thinking about this topic. Lots of “chair flying” and “reflective analysis” are the only antidotes to being the “slow dummy” on the frequency. Humility and personal honesty are essential to progress; you cannot be happy with just simple success. You can always get better and faster. It is not enough to be keeping up with the plane, you have to be two steps ahead – aggressively anticipating!
Mental speed is also a critical aviation instructor aptitude; the “split-brain experiment!” A good educator is simultaneously monitoring the current condition, anticipating the future energy state, while conjuring up a concise nugget of wisdom to advance their learner’s insight. Done properly the CFI game is just as exhausting as KLGA on a busy day.
Watch this YouTube to motivate mindful anticipation and avoid “clueless!” Pilots who struggle on frequency are PAINFUL!
Our last SAFE Webinar: “Antidote to Loss of Control” is up on SAFE YouTube channel. Thank you to Rich Stowell for helping out with this program. Register for Oct 27th: this will feature in-flight demos of the “Extended Envelope Maneuvers!” Fly safe out there (and often)!
Join SAFE and get great benefits. You get 1/3 off ForeFlight and your membership supports our mission of increasing aviation safety by promoting excellence in education. Our FREE SAFE Toolkit App puts required pilot endorsements and experience requirements right on your smartphone and facilitates CFI+DPE teamwork. Our newly reformulated Mentoring Program is open to every CFI (and those working on the rating) Join our new Mentoring FaceBook Group.
Tell us what *you* think!