Mini Lesson: Understanding "IMSAFE"

Before each flight, pilots carefully inspect the aircraft top to bottom, but oftentimes forget one of the most important parts, themselves! The "IMSAFE" checklist was created to be a simple tool for pilots to self-evaluate before each flight. Each letter represents a physical, mental, and/or emotional factor that could make a pilot unsafe.

I: Illness

• It's simple, if you have any symptoms, don't fly!

• Even minor illnesses can seriously impact pilot performance and health

M: Medication

• If the label says "do not operate heavy machinery" or "may cause drowsiness," don't fly

• The FAA website offers a list of allowed and restricted medications

S: Stress

• Acute and chronic stress, if not properly managed, can be dangerous

• Acute: short term (checkride anxiety, deadlines, traffic jams)

• Chronic: requires medical diagnosis (divorce, financial problems, heavy workload)

A: Alcohol

• Minimum 8 hours bottle to throttle and BAC below .04%

• Hangovers still impact performance!

F: Fatigue

• Being tired slows reaction time and clouds judgement

• Acute: short term (you stayed up too late the night before)

• Chronic: requires diagnosis (a couple good nights rest won't fix it)

E: Eating/Emotion

• Low blood sugar can cause fatigue, irritability, and a "brain fog" state

• Strong emotions cause your mind to wander and not be fully focused on flying, which is very dangerous

According to the NTSB, around 80% of all aircraft accidents are linked to pilot error. The IMSAFE checklist is the easiest way to check if you're safe to fly before even leaving home! Don't be a part of that 80%, IMSAFE isn't just a reminder, it's a responsibility.