MEETING THE CHALLENGES TO THE PERFECT FLIGHT

We’ve all heard that flying is statistically safer than driving a car. Yet there’s no denying that aviation can be hazardous. Tragedies like the 1999 deaths of popular golfer Payne Stewart in a gruesome jet mishap and of John F. Kennedy Jr. during a routine flight require careful examination if we are to understand the causes behind them and learn from them.

In this part, you’ll learn about the possible barriers to flying the perfect flight—from the effects of bad weather to the limitations of the human body. You’ll learn how pilots respond to flight emergencies. You’ll also read a detailed analysis of Kennedy’s final flight, as well as an examination of the decision-making factors that every pilot should understand.