What is the role of risk management in flight instruction?

• A. Instructors must teach risk management in the classroom and mitigate risks during flight instruction.
• B. Risk management is optional and only taught during emergencies.
• C. Risk management is only for airline operations.
• D. Risk management is the same as flight planning only.

Answer: (A)

Risk management in flight instruction is about using a structured decision-making process to identify hazards, assess the risk they pose, and implement controls to prevent incidents during training. The instructor must teach this process in the classroom and actively demonstrate how to apply it during flight, continually evaluating conditions, student proficiency, and mission constraints. It is not optional or limited to emergencies; risk management should be integrated into every training activity. It also isn’t restricted to airline operations or limited to flight planning alone. It encompasses preflight planning, in-flight decision-making, weather and performance considerations, student readiness, and operational constraints, with mitigations such as delaying a lesson, choosing safer routing or altitude, using checklists, or reducing exposure to risk when appropriate.