The Lazy Bird for the Early Bird

Whenever I think of an initial solo mine, or anyone’s, I picture a mother bird kicking her chick out of the nest to fly for the first time. As romantic at this sounds, it could not be further from the truth when it comes to your initial solo, or even beyond that, your CPL, Instructors rating or ATPL. The fact of the matter is that this flying thing for humans is totally unnatural, it doesn’t go about just repeating a bunch of practical exercises until we reach a level of competence to pass a flight test.

Most pilots, some to their disgust, have come to realise that there is a mountain of theory that gets combined with these practical skills. This mountain is taller than Mount Everest at times it seems like trying to reach the moon.

I hear a lot of students say, “but if I just learn the questions and answers I will pass”. Yes, you may pass the exam there and then but what about the knowledge requirement for decision making down the line?

Global statistics indicate that approximately 80-90% of aviation accidents involve human error, either as a causal or contributing factor. Low time pilots are at particular risk with poor decision making or pilot error often being cited.  When looking at how a decision is made, using cognitive psychology, one can make use of the episodic memory which recalls all events and experience as well at the semantic memory which makes use of knowledge, rules and procedures. Unfortunately, in the case of a low time pilot, the low episodic component is compensated for by the semantic components – which may or may not have been programmed correctly.

Let’s paint a different picture – a doctor only studied questions and answers to pass a medical exam, requiring a 50% pass mark. Now you are present in front of them with some life-threatening disease, causing serious problems and stomach cramps, and they prescribe a pain killer and an antacid, because it is probably just reflux because that was an exam question! How would you feel a couple of weeks down the line when you are on life support and at your end? It quickly becomes clear that knowledge is a critical component to work in a high-risk environment.

At Lazy Bird we have realised this trend and the associated shortcomings in pilot safety. Being learned professionals in our field, we have committed to making a change. Lazy Bird manuals were written by subject matter experts to provide a concise, easy to understand and user-friendly platform of pilot training material, to eliminate guessing from theoretical elements of pilot training.

Diagram and text were incorporated to make the understanding of the subject as simple as possible and, when coupled with an effective ground school, will ensure entire topic understanding. Questions and answers will become revision, as they were intended and the pilot will have a solid understanding of the fundamentals required for each subject.

Knowledge is, literally, safety.

Eliminate the guess work, by putting in the “fun work” by using Lazy Bird manuals.

Aviation knowledge made understandable, by people who have been through what you are facing.

Lazy Bird Manuals – For Pilots by Pilots!