Is anyone using any formal risk assessment methods prior to every flight? Meaning things like risk assessment matrices, quantitative risk assessment flow charts, PAVE, etc?
I don't, and I am a bit torn on the subject. I have looked into it a couple times, and I have not found a way of working with such tools that I like. Most importantly, I find they narrow my thinking, channel my thought process into fixed patterns and checking for the presence of pre-defined risks only, and limit my ability to consider all aspects of the flight. It is also yet another thing to do before each flight...
But on the other hand, in various information circulars, pilot handbooks, accident report recommendations etc, there is a lot of talk about such methods, and how they are highly recommended for use by all pilots, always. E.g., the FAA's Risk Management Handbook, available at
Aviation Handbooks & Manuals.
I do not like having such a mismatch between what I do, and what the FAA
et al recommend that I do. One would assume they know a good deal more about aviation than I do, so it is presumably they who have it right.
So I am wondering if anyone else have any experience of actually using these types of tools, not just once to try it out, but routinely? Anyone who finds them useful? If so, how do
you use them?