New Publication Aimed At Improving Airmanship, Courtesy, Safety, Judgement

GA insurer Avemco says it will soon distribute "Aviators' Model Code of Conduct" (AMCC) free of charge to its policyholders.

As General Aviation (GA) pilots, we all received primary flight instruction and we all (hopefully) remember our instructors’ admonitions and advice. However, since flight training stresses satisfying minimum requirements within a limited set of disciplines, there are often many differences in pilots’ understandings of airmanship, courtesy, safety, and exercising judgment. To address these differences and limitations in pilot training and preparedness, Avemco is providing its customers with a new responsive publication authored by Michael S. Baum, JD, MBA, CISSP, of Los Altos (CA).

Baum's experience is similar to that of many GA pilots. "When I began flying," he notes, "my primary source of guidance on what to do and how and when to do it was my flight instructor. I always took his advice, but being new to aviation, I was ill equipped to critically evaluate his perspectives. Therefore my approach to flying, including my conceptions of airmanship, good behavior and judgment, was both bolstered by his strengths and diminished by his weaknesses.This made it difficult to see the 'big picture,'" he adds, "to determine what is important and how to be a 'good GA citizen.'"

Jim Lauerman, Avemco Executive Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer, explains, "I worked with Michael during the development phase of the piece. He is a deeply insightful individual with a diverse background, including authoring pioneering works on electronic commerce and the law, holding executive positions in high technology businesses and sitting on the board of several organizations. He wrote the AMCC—the product of nearly three years of research and extensive consultation within the GA community—as an act of service to the GA community and I agree with the values he presents. As our industry becomes more and more complex—with new avionics, airframes and the possibility of new regulations from the FAA—I believe that thoughtful guidelines for good citizenship within the GA community are necessary."

"The Aviators' Model Code of Conduct is designed to improve GA from within," Lauerman says, "by providing a framework for individual pilots to improve their performance beyond regulatory minimums." Recommending practices in critical areas such as excellence in airmanship and prudent operating practices, the AMCC promotes goal setting for pilots and personal tracking in pursuit of those goals.

"Additionally, to promote GA, the AMCC highlights recommended practices that will help the non-flying public understand and tolerate our activities. Safety, courtesy, and good judgment are all given prominent play and the guide brings a framework to our efforts to help promote and preserve our right to fly," adds Lauerman.

The AMCC contains seven Principles: General Responsibilities of Aviators, Passengers and Parties on the Surface, Training and Proficiency, Security, Environmental Issues, Use of Available Technology and the Advancement and Promotion of GA. To further the effective use of its Principles, the AMCC also includes Sample Recommended Practices to help pilots integrate the Principles into their own practices.

FMI: www.avemco.com