trip—or you might decide that it is safest to wait until the  next day—the chart in  Figure 8-9  suggests that you should  at least raise your baseline personal minimums by adding  1,000 feet to your ceiling value; one mile to visibility, and  1,000 feet to required runway length. How about adjustments in the other direction? Some pilots  fear that establishing personal minimums is a once and-for-all  exercise. With time and experience, though, you can modify  personal minimums to match growing skill and judgment.  When you have comfortably flown to your baseline personal  minimums for several months, you might want to sit down  and assess whether and how to push the envelope safely.  If, for instance, your personal minimums call for daytime  visibility of at least five miles, and you have developed  some solid experience flying in those conditions, you might  consider lowering the visibility value to four miles for your  next flight. Once you have done all the thinking required to establish  baseline personal minimums, all you need to do next is stick  to the plan. As most pilots know, that task is a lot harder than  it sounds, especially when the flight is for a trip that you really  want to make, or when you are staring into the faces of your  disappointed passengers. Here’s where personal minimums  can be an especially valuable tool. Professional pilots live  by the numbers, and so should you. Pre-established hard  numbers can make it a lot easier to make a smart no go or  divert decision than a vague sense that you can “probably”  deal with the conditions that you are facing at any given  time. In addition, a written set of personal minimums can  also make it easier to explain tough decisions to passengers  who are, after all, trusting their lives to your aeronautical  skill and judgment. General aviation pilots enjoy a level of responsibility and  freedom unique in aviation. Unlike the air carrier, corporate,  and military communities, most GA pilots are free to fly  when and where they choose. They are unencumbered by  the strict regulatory structure that governs many other flight  operations. However, the GA pilot is not supported by a  staff of dispatchers and meteorologists, or governed by rigid  operational guidelines designed to reduce risk. Pilots should  not be lulled into a false sense of security simply because  they are in compliance with the regulations. Judgment and  aeronautical decision-making serve as the bridge between  regulatory compliance and safety. Deciding if or when to  undertake any flight lies solely with the pilot in command  (PIC). GA pilots should remember that FAA regulations  designed to prevent accidents and incidents come out AFTER  the accident or incident. There are two important cautions: A copy of the charts used in this chapter can be found in  Appendix B. Pilots are encouraged to make a copy of this  appendix, complete applicable charts, and use them prior to  each flight. 2.  Keep all other variables constant. For example, if your  goal is to lower your baseline personal minimums for  visibility, don’t try to lower the ceiling, wind, or other  values at the same time. In addition, you never want  to push the baseline if there are special conditions  (e.g., unfamiliar aircraft, pilot fatigue) present for this  flight. You might find it helpful to talk through both  your newly established personal minimums and any  “push-the-envelope” plans with a well-qualified flight  instructor. 1. Never adjust personal minimums to a lower value for  a specific flight. The time to consider adjustments  is when you are not under any pressure to fly, and  when you have the time and objectivity to think  honestly about your skill, performance, and comfort  level during last the few flights. Changing personal  minimums “on the fly” defeats the purpose of having  them in the first place. Step 6—Stick to the Plan! Chapter Summary Pilot Aircraft enVironment External Pressures Illness, use of medication, stress, or fatigue; lack of  currency (e.g., have not flown for several weeks) An unfamiliar airplane or an aircraft with unfamiliar  avionics or other equipment Unfamiliar airports and airspace; different terrain or  other unfamiliar characteristics “Must meet” deadlines, pressures from  passengers, etc. If you are facing Adjust baseline personal minimums by Add Subtract At least 500 feet to ceiling At least 1/2 mile to visibility At least 500 feet to runway length At least 5 knots from winds Figure 8-9.  Examples of baseline personal mimimums. 8-6