1. Checklists:
From the moment you sit in the plane to the time you leave it, checklists are absolutely necessary to be sure that everything is working in the way it is supposed to. Some checklists you have to go through include ‘Before starting engines’, ‘before takeoff’, ‘cruise’, ‘before drop’, etc. Accident statistics are full to the brim with guys who were too cool to use a checklist. Flying is absolutely unforgiving of sloppiness.

Lesson in Business: Once a process is established, the best way to ensure it is followed in the teams and each member follows a system to give consistent outcomes is to use a tool called a checklist.
Take the example of a well turn down service in a hotel with all the essentials in place, such as the right temperature, an umbrella along with the next days weather forecast, drawn curtains, an extra towel placed on the bath-tub, etc. Achieving such meticulous attention to detail every time regardless of the person doing the job can be achieved only through checklists.

 

2. Never stop Scanning: 
To avoid collisions you must scan effectively from the moment the aircraft moves until it comes to a stop at the end of the flight. Before take-off you must check the runway, assess the traffic situation from radio reports, etc and while when you are climbing or descending, you have to listen to radio exchanges between air traffic and other aircraft and form a mental image of the traffic, situation, and positions of aircraft on opposing and intersecting headings, anticipating further developments… etc. 

Lesson in business : Continuously monitor the indicators, for example the value of your pipeline, stage and closing ratio together can accurately predict if the sales targets will be met or not much in advance. Have a quarterly review rather than annual. Measure key factors that can alter the course of the business, scan the horizon for competition, and when all is fine just let it fly with small corrections and keep scanning and making the small corrections continuously.

 

3. Attitude:
Attitude in Aviation is the orientation of the aircraft relative to Earth’s horizon, whether the wings are level with the horizon, and whether it is climbing (positive attitude) or descending (negative attitude). The pilot who fails to take responsibility for the attitude of his aircraft is in serious trouble.

Lessons in business: Take charge of own beliefs and attitudes by taking control of our thinking. It is also important to keep the team in a good state of mind. State is something a leader can easily influence, and a team in good state and attitude will find the good strategy by themselves.

 

4. State your intentions:
Communication with the control tower is often used by other pilots in the vicinity to create a mental map of how things are around them. The language and style of communication leaves very less room for misunderstanding. When we say – SAN as Sierra, Alpha, November – there is high chances that it’s understood. Likewise, instructions from the tower are repeated to confirm that the message was received. You always declare your intention of what you plan to do next.

Lessons in business: Develop a set of codes and expectations within each team to ensure that there is clear communication, rules for emails, clarifying expectations and intentions improves the velocity of the team, it becomes like a broadband connection between people.

 

5. Do not fight the turbulence:
Turbulence is by far the number one concern of anxious passengers. From a pilot’s perspective it is ordinarily seen as a convenience issue, not a safety issue. The passengers often panic and think the pilot is battling at the controls while nothing is further from the truth. Predicting the where, when, and how much of turbulence is more of an art than a science.

Lessons in business : Anticipate turbulence, understand that your people will react differently than you, and it is very important to address their concerns understanding that they see things differently. At the same time to not lose energy and focus fighting minor turbulence.

 

6. Course correction:
Course correction is the process of correcting the ‘compass heading’ in flight owing to drifting off the original planned course. The drift is often due to incorrectly (often impossible to) forecasted upper winds, but it could be the result of a calculation error.

Lesson in business: Course corrections are needed and unavoidable, this attitude will reduce a lot of stress especially when things do not go as planned, which is often the case in business as in flying.

 

7. Go-around
If for some reason (Demand from the tower, overshot the runway, cross winds, unsafe condition, landing gear not extended…..) the pilot decides not to land, he can simply fly back up to circuit height, and complete another circuit. 

Lesson in business: A Go-around is not an emergency. It is a standard procedure. Sometimes things do not succeed in first attempt for a number of reasons. At this point, be ready to pivot, change, adapt, but above all remember that going around is not an emergency, it should be expected and be prepared for.

Kiss Landing: When you land a plane and the passengers take little notice of touchdown except for the wheels turning, you know you have done your job well, often remains memorable and people who were anxious inside the plane have a smile on their face.