Thinking Like a Pilot: The ADM Process and Hazardous Attitudes

Aeronautical decision-making (ADM) is a systematic approach to consistently choosing the best course of action for a given set of circumstances. Instead of relying on instinct alone, it adds a repeatable structure — perceive the situation, evaluate the options, then choose and act on the safest one. Because ADM is a learned skill, it can be practiced and improved, and it directly attacks the human-error accidents that dominate general aviation. A major part of good ADM is guarding against the five hazardous attitudes that corrode judgment. Anti-authority says "don’t tell me"; impulsivity says "do something quickly"; invulnerability says "it won’t happen to me"; macho says "I can do it"; and resignation says "what’s the use." The defense is to recognize each in yourself and recite its antidote: follow the rules; not so fast, think first; it could happen to me; taking chances is foolish; and I’m not helpless, I can make a difference. Naming the attitude is what breaks its grip.