The Decision-Making Process Choosing a Course of Action Defining the Problem Implementing the Decision and Evaluating the  Outcome aircraft. This type of flying does not cost a dime and will  make you a better prepared and more proficient pilot.  All three of Max Trescott’s safety tips incorporate the ADM  process and emphasize the importance of how safety and  good decision-making is essential to aviation.  the center of gravity (CG) slightly behind the aft limits.  Since weight and balance had never created any problems  for her in the past, she did not bother to calculate CG and  power required. She did try to estimate it by remembering  the figures from earlier in the morning at the base camp.  At a 5,000-foot density altitude (DA) and maximum gross  weight, the performance charts indicated the helicopter  had plenty of excess power. Unfortunately, the temperature  was 93 °F and the pressure altitude at the pickup point was  6,200 feet (DA = 9,600 feet). Since there was enough power  for the hover check, the pilot decided there was sufficient  power to takeoff. Even though the helicopter accelerated slowly during the  takeoff, the distance between the helicopter and the ground  continued to increase. However, when the pilot attempted to  establish the best rate of climb speed, the nose tended to pitch  up to a higher-than-normal attitude, and the pilot noticed that  the helicopter was not gaining enough altitude in relation to  the canyon wall approximately 200 yards ahead. An understanding of the decision-making process provides  a pilot with a foundation for developing ADM skills. Some  situations, such as engine failures, require a pilot to respond  immediately using established procedures with little time  for detailed analysis. Called automatic decision-making,  it is based upon training, experience, and recognition.  Traditionally, pilots have been well trained to react to  emergencies, but are not as well prepared to make decisions  that require a more reflective response when greater analysis  is necessary. They often overlook the phase of decision- making that is accomplished on the ground: the preflight,  flight planning, performance planning, weather briefing, and  weight/center of gravity configurations. Thorough and proper  completion of these tasks provides increased awareness and  a base of knowledge available to the pilot prior to departure  and once airborne. Typically during a flight, a pilot has time  to examine any changes that occur, gather information, and  assess risk before reaching a decision. The steps leading to  this conclusion constitute the decision-making process. After the problem has been identified, a pilot must evaluate  the need to react to it and determine the actions to take to  resolve the situation in the time available. The expected  outcome of each possible action should be considered and  the risks assessed before a pilot decides on a response to  the situation. The pilot’s first thought was to pull up on the collective and  pull back on the cyclic. After weighing the consequences of  possibly losing rotor revolutions per minute (rpm) and not  being able to maintain the climb rate sufficiently to clear the  canyon wall, which was then only a hundred yards away, she  realized the only course was to try to turn back to the landing  zone on the canyon floor. Defining the problem is the first step in the decision-making  process and begins with recognizing that a change has  occurred or that an expected change did not occur. A problem  is perceived first by the senses, then is distinguished through  insight (self-awareness) and experience. Insight, experience,  and objective analysis of all available information are used to  determine the exact nature and severity of the problem. One  critical error that can be made during the decision-making  process is incorrectly defining the problem.  While going through the following example, keep in mind what  errors lead up to the event. What planning could have been  completed prior to departing that may have led to avoiding  this situation? What instruction could the pilot have had  during training that may have better prepared the pilot for this  scenario? Could the pilot have assessed potential problems  based on what the aircraft “felt like” at a hover? All these  factors go into recognizing a change and the timely response.  Although a decision may be reached and a course of action  implemented, the decision-making process is not complete.  It is important to think ahead and determine how the  decision could affect other phases of the flight. As the flight  progresses, a pilot must continue to evaluate the outcome of  the decision to ensure that it is producing the desired result. As the pilot made the turn to the downwind, the airspeed  dropped nearly to zero, and the helicopter became very  difficult to control. (At this point, the pilot must increase  airspeed in order to maintain translational lift.) Since the  CG was aft of limits, she needed to apply more forward  cyclic than usual. As she approached the landing zone  with a high rate of descent, she realized that she would  While doing a hover check after picking up firefighters at  the bottom of a canyon, a pilot realized that she was only  20 pounds under maximum gross weight. What she failed  to realize was that the firefighters had stowed some of their  heaviest gear in the baggage compartment, which shifted  13-4