get-there-itis

aeronautical decision making cross country flight cross-country flight cross-country flight planning cross-country flying five P check flight safety go no-go decision mountain flying personal minimums risk management single-pilot resource management sunk cost fallacy VFR into IMC VFR pilot safety

Traffic Pattern Jun 20, 2026

The Five P check and the four decision points where you actually run it on a cross-country

Learn the FAA's Five P check (Plan, Plane, Pilot, Passengers, Programming) and the four in-flight decision points where you actually run it.

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Traffic Pattern May 5, 2026

The fuel stop where the weather changed and the sunk cost trap that kills general aviation pilots

How to recognize and defeat the sunk cost trap when weather changes mid-trip, with a practical framework for fuel-stop decision making.

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Traffic Pattern Apr 27, 2026

Get-there-itis and the Sunday afternoon trap that turns good pilots into statistics

How get-there-itis kills VFR pilots and the practical framework to break the accident chain before it locks shut.

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Traffic Pattern Apr 21, 2026

The Thanksgiving cross-country and the five decisions that keep you alive

Five critical decision points every VFR pilot faces on a Thanksgiving cross-country, and how to get each one right.

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