Introducing Pilots Who Ask Why!

Welcome to ‘Pilots Who Ask Why’!

We as pilots (and other aviation personnel) don’t ask “why?” enough when it comes to principles and theory behind every-day tasks.

The excellent global aviation safety culture that results from SOP’s and checklists can unfortunately also create an environment where we get complacent when it comes to the actual reason why we are doing the things we do.

It is tempting to say “I am just an engineer / pilot / air traffic controller, I don’t need to know why as long as I know what to do”. “Pilots Who Ask Why” is here to challenge that philosophy.

Knowing why and knowing more than just what is “required” does not only turn you into a better aviator, it also provides you with an edge when things go wrong and can be the difference between a poorly executed plan and landing safely.

“Pilots Why Ask Why” is designed with this idea in mind and will challenge you to step outside your comfort zone and go the extra mile.

The articles will be (relatively) bite sized, easy to digest and full of illustrations, colours and easy to understand language, no need to get anxious!

Often it won’t be rocket science either, sometimes all we need is a reminder for both easy and harder content, which would otherwise have been forgotten.

This is the place where you can come back and brush up on used-to-understand-but-not-anymore principles, but also discover a wealth of new and relevant information.

The categories and subjects in the “Pilots Who Ask Why” mind map below are a combination of topics that have been sent in, and topics that were already on my radar. If something that interests or confuses you is not in it yet, please just get in touch and I will look into including it soon, check it out:

Every post will alternate through different categories and topics to keep things fresh and interesting. The level will be tailored to people in all sorts of situations, whether you are an ATPL student, an experienced offshore or airline captain, an engineer, or just an enthusiast looking to tune in, it really does not matter. This is your aviation knowledge hub right here!

My Aerospace Engineering background, my inability to let go of topics that are deemed “confusing or difficult to understand” and my super annoying habit of asking “why?” way too often, will hopefully make for valuable content for all involved.

Thank you all for sending in your topics, and feel free to subscribe to tag along for the ride!