Threat and Error Management as You Return to Flying After a Long Layoff – March 2025 Update – KNOW YOUR LIMITS!
Dear Member,
As we return to flying after a poor winter a refresher on TEM might be useful.
The aim is to consider potential threats and errors for your flight and mitigate against them. The earlier you can do this, the better. For example, having a look on Windy/Met Office rainfall radar before you leave on a Nav-ex in order to plan around weather, as opposed to being caught out once you’re airborne. If you think you might miss a set of checks on a nav leg because you will be concentrating on not getting lost, write ‘FREDA’ on your map to remind you.
- Threats: something you don’t have control over, which risks the safe conduct of your flight.
- Errors: something you do/don’t do, which wasn’t intended and perhaps against SOPs, which risks the safe conduct of your flight. You are human after all and you will make mistakes.
When there are concurrent ops with gliding and powered flying, how will the gliders affect how you operate? What’s the ‘So what‘?
A good way to start your brief is to ask “What is different about today?” That should help you identify pertinent Threat and Errors. Some people use the acronym WANT: Weather, Aircraft, NOTAMs, Terrain to help them with TEM. Others use PAVE: Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, External pressures.
The attached guide to TEM goes into a little more detail. Please take the time to have a read.
Also feel free to google the subject. ‘SKYbrary’ a great website; although it’s orientated more to commercial flying it’s still transferable to us: https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Threat_and_Error_Management_(TEM)_in_Flight_Operations
Much of the post Covid Return to Flying Guide is also relevant to return to flying after a winter layoff. Link below.
As ever, we wish you safe flying. Remember, you make your own luck!
Click on the buttons below to open the attachments.
