Training and Safety Tip: Dynamic personal minimums
Pilots are often taught that personal minimums should be treated like they are carved in stone, must be adhered to like the laws of physics, and should never be changed in flight.
All true.
Now, the ground rules for changing minimums are, quite literally, ground rules. You adjust them on the ground after reasonable consideration, and never modify them just before a flight or as part of flight planning. Otherwise, those little devils of external pressure will perch on your shoulder and whisper in your ear, and that never ends well. And it goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, “adjusting” a personal minimum in flight defeats the purpose of having a personal minimum in the first place.
Here’s the thing that people tend to forget: Dynamic simply implies movement. It doesn’t suggest movement in just one direction. Personal minimums are a two-way street. Sure, for student pilots, as you gain new skills, more experience, and hours, your minimums should expand (allowing lower ceilings, or a higher crosswind component, or otherwise as the case may be). But for certificated pilots, if, let’s say, life is getting in the way and you aren’t flying as much as you used to, perhaps you need to adjust your minimums to be more restrictive. The same applies for student pilots who are forced to take a training break. Before you get back on the flight deck, adjust your minimums to compensate for the proficiency-eroding effect that a break in flying imposes.
Raising personal minimums isn’t always connected to a reduction in flight time. A change in mission can make it a smart move, too. If your capabilities are the same but you're flying a different type of airplane doing a different kind of work, it might be time to adjust those dynamic personal minimums.
Read more about expanding your personal minimums beyond weather in this Training and Safety Tip.
