Flying, in most phases of flight, becomes very easy and very safe (hardware permitting) if the cockpit workload is suitably reduced.
10540
Totally agree when everything is going right flying is very easy and safe but that is not what kills pilots!
It is when things go wrong, when the pilot is tested that some start to loose the plot.
I was flying from Nice to Gatwick at night climbing up through storm clouds through 24000 feet when all three screens went black so having an all singing dancing aeroplane is little to do with the situational awareness that I am talking about.
I have flown as a second pilot with some very good pilots. They all had one thing in common and that is an ability to pick up their game and to stay ahead of the aircraft to fit any situation which hits them.
It the pilot who can hand fly in clouds, operate the aircraft, nav and radios but who can still hold a conversation on the latest football match and still lock onto an abnormal indication.
Yes a lot is to do with experience and teaching but NOT ALL and neither is it to do with organisation.
The killer is overload or brain freeze and some have a natural much higher load limit before that is achieved.
My guess is its the ability to take in a lot of visual information which some have and some dont. Its a makeup thing.
Pace