The Pre-Flight Briefing - Pilot Shop Blog

When it comes to flight safety, there's a mantra every pilot—whether they're a 1000+hr seasoned pro or a budding student pilot—swears by: "IMSAFE." This isn't just another term from the FAA regulations manual, it's a foundational principle taught early on in flight training by every certified flight instructor.

In this article, let's take a deep dive into what IMSAFE is all about and why it's the secret sauce to help you fly safely.

We may adore soaring through the skies, but our bodies are made for an existence on land. This means that our brains are not engineered to process the stimuli we experience when we're airborne. It is this discrepancy that brings about spatial disorientation.

But how can we tell when this is happening and even more importantly, what can we do to cope with it? We will answer these questions in this article, so read on to find out!

Raise your hand if you’ve ever experienced fatigue. Is everyone’s hand up? Good. Now keep it up if you’ve ever piloted an aircraft while fatigued. That’s what we thought.

Naturally lack of sleep is a factor, but low-quality sleep, stress, poor health, dehydration, disrupted circadian rhythms from jetlag and night flying, plus commuting and extended layovers also play a role.

What can you do to keep from dozing off mid-flight?

“One becomes indifferent. One thinks neither of the perilous situation nor of any danger,” French balloon pilot Gaston Tissandier wrote after narrowly surviving the first documented aviation-related hypoxia event at 28,000 feet.

Regardless of what altitude we usually fly at to understand the types of hypoxia, its symptoms and effects, plus what to do if we find ourselves sliding into the dangerously peaceful grip of low oxygen levels. Let’s jump right in.

Listen: We get it – none of us enjoy looking in the mirror and analyzing our potential shortcomings, but with the FAA estimating that 75% of all aviation accidents are caused by human factors, it’s time to rip off the bandage and get honest. Let’s face the music, and find out what hazardous – and potentially deadly – attitudes we too may be unwittingly bringing to the cockpit.

Are you a general aviation pilot with a third-class medical certificate? Would you like an alternative to visiting a designed aviation medical examiner (AME) every few years in order to maintain your medical clearance? How would you like the ability to have your personal physician conduct your medical exam?

What kind of pilot would fly after a drink? Not you, right? Good. Same here, but if we are being honest, how many of us have experienced signs of hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) while at the controls?