Go/No-Go Decisions: The Hardest Call in General Aviation
Ask any general aviation pilot what the hardest decision is, and many will say the same thing: deciding not to fly.
Unlike the airlines, GA pilots don’t have dispatchers, release procedures, or a second crew member to weigh in. Whether it’s a training sortie, a business trip, or a family outing, the call to launch — or to stay on the ground — rests solely on the pilot’s shoulders. That’s why decision-making under pressure is one of the most important safety habits we can cultivate.
The Pressure to Launch
External pressures are powerful. A student wants to get their solo cross-country done before the checkride. A client is waiting for a Vision Jet trip. A family vacation is “ruined” if we don’t get there on time. Each scenario tempts us to rationalize marginal weather, questionable mechanical issues, or fatigue.
Hazardous Attitudes in Play
The FAA outlines five hazardous attitudes that show up time and again in accident reports:
- Anti-authority – “Don’t tell me what to do.”
- Impulsivity – “Do it quickly.”
- Invulnerability – “It won’t happen to me.”
- Macho – “I can do it.”
- Resignation – “What’s the use?”
Recognizing these attitudes in ourselves is the first step to counteracting them. For example, “macho” thinking may push us to fly into marginal IMC we’re not comfortable with, while “resignation” might prevent us from making the extra call for a weather update that could change the decision.
Tools for Better Decisions
- Personal Minimums Card: Write down your comfort thresholds for ceiling, visibility, crosswinds, and fuel. When conditions don’t meet them, you have an objective reason to say no.
- Abort Criteria: Pre-brief a stopping point — if the weather doesn’t improve by a certain fix, or if you’re not wheels-up by a certain time, the flight is scrubbed.
- The PAVE Checklist: Evaluate the Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, and External Pressures before every flight. Even when all but one area looks good, a single weak link can tip the balance toward no-go.
A Local Example
Consider a common situation at Lunken: ceilings at 1,500 feet AGL, visibility 4 miles, scattered showers in the area. Your destination is clear skies and sunshine, but the route requires climbing through that marginal layer. As a private pilot, you may be legal, but is it safe? What’s your out if the layer thickens or ATC is too busy for a climb? Sometimes, the professional call is the hardest one — delaying, diverting, or canceling altogether.
The Bottom Line
Canceling a flight isn’t a failure; it’s one of the clearest marks of a professional pilot. Every flight we don’t take when the risks outweigh the benefits makes us safer, more experienced aviators. Remember: no one has ever been in an accident because they stayed on the ground.
Safety Takeaway: Having the discipline to cancel or delay is a mark of professionalism, not weakness.
This post was written by Andrew Wilson, our Safety Officer, Flight Instructor and SF50 pilot based out of our Lunken facility.