Too Many Low Time Pilots Die Every Year - How Not to Be One of Them 

45-years ago, my PPL examiner turned to me with a smile on his face signing me off for my license said, "I am giving your two buckets today. The first is a full bucket of luck. The second is an empty bucket of experience. Your job is to fill the bucket of experience before your luck runs out". No better advice from him.

I am a retired United 777 pilot. 28k +/- hours. I liked EVERYTHING I heard. Great video . Thank you for making this important information available as a resource.

I was taking flight lessons 20 years ago--my grandfather was a WWII pilot, and I romanticized the profession. I read "The Killing Zone" and immediately stopped training. I realized that I didn't have the commitment to adopt the extremely serious attitudes necessary to protect myself and others while flying as a low-time pilot.

A Navy pilot once said, “Aviation is a self-cleaning oven.”

I have nearly 800 hours and an instrument ticket, fly a well equipped Cessna 182, and I have very strict minimums. Vfr and ifr minimums relating to severity of winds, whether, potential icing et cetera. I've got an entire list. I decide not to fly about 20% of the time. My IFR minimums are 1000 ft ceilings. Yes, with a safety pilot in VFR I train for approaches to minimums but when I'm flying with my wife in the plane and relatives or friends are in the back I need to have 1000 feet before I go on instruments for taking off and I've got to be able to see 1000 feet AGL at my destination or I won't go. A friend of mine sometimes taunts me for not being bolder but I'm not going to change. I do not need to prove that I can land in a 25 knot crosswind, I've practiced it, I can do it if necessary, but if those are the expected winds I don't go. If it's too turbulent I don't go. I don't fly through fronts, anywhere near thunderstorms, I am meticulous about weight and balance. Just last week friends of ours flew in from the West Coast and we were supposed to fly to Memphis from Greenville SC. I didn't like the look of the weather over the smoky mountains and despite not wanting to disappoint friends and their wanting to go I canceled the flight. I'm not all that afraid of dying but I don't want to kill anybody else and I certainly don't want to ruin a good plane. Additionally, I can't bear to think about what would be written about me in the event I become a statistic. Good video and thanks.

I am a 23-year-old private pilot who recently obtained my license. Thank you for creating this video to assist pilots like me in staying safe. Your reminder to use checklists and utilize resources is invaluable. This video is extremely helpful!

The overconfidence section… you are right on that one, many many “experienced” pilots are just too cocky 🤦🏻‍♂️

There’s a saying with motorcycles “There are bold riders and old riders but there are no old bold riders”

I’m passed 500 hours now , instrument rated and working on my commercial and you have it exactly right, Trent. I can sum it up even more simply….when you’re low time, YOU JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW. Those that don’t respect that truth are looking for trouble in the first years after they get their PPL. Cheers.

The airplane I was supposed to start training in crashed two weeks ago due to engine failure. Pilot had to make emergency landing in a forest during approach. He walked away without injury. Thanks for devoting content to keep low time pilots safe!

Don’t let the trolls get to you. Those of us who are safe pilots completely understand what you are saying. Thank you for the content. Keep doing your thing. 👍🏽

As a low time pilot myself (540 TT) I really appreciate you making safety and risk mitigation cool. I see a lot of pilots in my current industry (aerial survey) bragging about making it out of sketchy situations, whether it be nasty weather, High winds, or pushing the IMSAFE checklist items to their absolute maximum. We need more people like you Trent in the pilot community. Keep up the great videos!!

I saw your video on Instagram and i was also surprised by the comments. But thanks for sharing. You're doing a positive service to aviation community.

I read the "Killing Zone" by Dr. Paul A Craig. I love how he writes. He is a great teacher about Aviation. I also have several books by Dr. Paul A. Craig. One particular is "Be a Better Pilot" - Making the right Decisions. So simple, easy, and fun the read. I had enjoyed it very much. It gave me so much encouragement to become a pilot. If anyone is interested. Highly recommend purchase it. Thank you, brother. for posting this informative video.

Thank you for the perspective. I really enjoy your content. I'm working through my private pilot training right now and have 8 hours logged. Your videos were instrumental in me getting over the hump to hit go. So thank you!

Thanks for the info. As always great video!

Great Coverage, Trent! I follow a very similar 3-strike system and completely agree with every line item on yours. This is a career 2.0 at 45 years of age for me - CPASEL/MEL/IR w/625TT and 65multi at this stage. I'm building up the time in my Cherokee, my friends' airplanes, or flying for CAP almost daily, and leaning something new on every flight. Please keep up the good work with your videos. This type of content quite literally saves lives. Thank you!

Have to say my favorite part of aviation is the feeling of family with others. Fellow aviators are always willing to teach, help, or offer advice all with the goal of keeping you safe! Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge it’s very much appreciated by this “low time pilot” sir. May all your flights go smoothly

This is a very valuable and informative video. Thanks a lot for creating and sharing it Trent 🙌😎✈️

Thank you for saying the things about the comments on the book!!!! have a wonderful day and keep the good work going

Great video Trent! Working towards career 3.0 after 19 yrs of no flying at 53. Im more cautious now than ever! 2 fatal crashes over last summer at my home airport F70, demonstrated exactly what you are talking about. I appreciate your content!

CONGRATS on your video emphasizing SAFETY FIRST. As I continue my pilot adventure - after my career as a rescue diver/firefighter/emt - you cannot be SAFE ENOUGH and not be prepared enough for the unknowns. I have watched several seasoned pilots with lots of years under their belt perform to the best of their abilities under the circumstances and still lose their life, but they saved the lives of others. SAFETY CANNOT BE EMPHASIZED ENOUGH!! Best of luck to your endeavors. I hope to meet you one day on the tarmac. 👨🏽‍✈️🛩️✈️

Trent, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GOOD INFORMATION, GREAT JOB, APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH

Thanks this video was super informative. I'm going through training and your strike system is something I'm going to be implementing into my flight planning from here on!

Just a bunch of tough guys until they wind up on a ‘Pilot Debrief’ video

Thanks for sharing your aviation journey with us Trent!🙌

Thanks for the information. I love to learn and hear other folks strategies and ideas. Cheers!

Thank you for sharing your expanded strikes list.

Thank you for this! I really appreciate your ideas too!

Great video Trent. Thanks for uploading

This video is great, very informative with loads of important advice. Thanks 🙂

Excellent advice, extremely good reminders. I want to survive too. Additional time in preflight planning is always worth the effort. Never rush! Be safe live long, keep alert.

Great video! My first time tuning in. Tremendously helpful advice. I like the three strike rule. Thanks, Trent.

Somehow I missed this video when you made it, This is great stuff man! Amazing and necessary content👍 I love Mikes Strike system, I also adopted it as soon as I saw that video.

Thank you, Trent. Anytime I can learn about aviation from other dedicated aviators, I am in and remain humble to aviating. Great job.

Hey Trent, thank you for creating valuable content for all to benefit from. These trolls who are leaving negative comments including name calling, are losers. And like you said, they are helping the algorithm so whatever. I appreciate what you are doing and so many others do as well. Keep it coming! Thank you!!

Non-pilot but hope to be one someday. Loved this video. Not only your wonderful content but also you are a fantastic communicator. So clear and everything you say. A terrific distillation of many topics I've heard aviation safety channels. Great job and you've got a new subscriber! And sure, I'm posting a comment to help your engagement numbers too! 😅

Top quality and valuable content. I’m an inspiring aviator and appreciate this type of content. Keep up the great work!

Great video! Thank you for all you do for air safety!

Thx for this helpful video. For student pilot like me it is very iimportant to get confidence. 👍🏼💪🏼 This gives me some guidelines

I am glad I found your channel and this particular video.

Great insight using the data Trent. Great work!

I've been flying since 1976. I like your check list. Very good. Two thumbs up.

Great video. Well done!

I just found your channel, and subbed to you,on the strength of this video -- and I hope anyone that was being stupid and hating on you aren't actually up there in the skies, and are just armchair aviators. We need more aviators like you, and less like them. THANK YOU for trying to do more to keep our skies safe for the beautiful world of aviation.

Thank you so much for this excellent video.

Great video. Petey's video is superb. Thank you for swinging that Troll Hammer.

Hey Trent, thanks for the video. I fly out of Corona (KAJO), and have done many flight to Palm Springs. I know exactly what you are talking about with the windmill’s and tough winds through the banning pass. Glad everything went okay, as you said safety so so important and always my top priority when preparing for a flight. Keep up the quality content🤙🏽

Thanks, I always appreciate hearing from others.

Great content Trent! Can’t wait to hear more of that system when you have it ready 💪🤙 please keep us posted, you’ll always hear about losers everywhere 😅 Just disregard them.. greetings & thanks for all the tips, can’t never get enough of them myself.

This is probably one of my favorite videos of yours so far. I have worked in the industry as a Maintenance Technician for over two decades now. Safety has been near and dear to my heart for a long time, and now that I am working on CFI, even more so. I think this applies to all of us low time or not.

Hey man, I've been watching your videos for about a year now, and I've gotta say: You're doing a great job educating and sharing your experiences and best practices. I think this is the first time where I've really seen you let the trolls get to you, and I don't think they deserve that much power. Ignore them the best you can and keep doing your thing. I can assure you that you're doing more good for those that need it than they are doing harm. I like Mike's 3 strikes concept and will likely be suggesting that to my future students (CFI check next week hopefully). Happy to have just esacaped the killing zone, and looking forward to more of your content. Also, appreciated getting to know your story better over on pro pilot playbook. Thank you for sharing. Cheers!

Amazing video Sir , very informative

I love and respect your approach and attitude toward flying! You cannot be too humble. When people like you are no longer found in the aviation community, then its time for aviation to be grounded.

Great video sir. I’m still a student pilot but I’m already formulating my “go-no go” checklist.

Great video sir lots of good info and wisdom....

Keep doing your thing Trent! Do not pay attention to the trolls and haters. The great poet French Montana once said “If don’t have haters, you ain’t poppin.” You have been a big inspiration to my aviation journey as a career 2.0 guy. Thank you and I’m cheering for you!

What a great thing to watch, being my first with you! I subscribed

Well done Trent. And, here's comment to help your algorithm. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for another great video

202 hr IFR rated pilot here. Very good points throughout the video and a refresher on the basics we were taught in private training. Your 3 strikes list is somewhat restrictive but I also cannot argue with it as it will help keep you on the living side of aviation. I have personal minimums but it is not directly in front of me when planning a flight. I will add it to my ForeFlight so I see it every time I plan. Thanks for sharing!

Awesome video! Great insight.

GREAT video. Learned a lot. 👍🙏

Love this 3 Strikes idea! I’m going to print this out as part of my personal checklist. It’s almost like a preemptive version of the Swiss cheese model in a way. Thank you!!

Nice. Thank you, brother.

I’ve been using the 3-strike system and have told a few friends about it, who have now implemented in it. I like the structure you’ve created for it! Mine is also ever evolving as I learn and develop as a pilot; I’m about to start instructing and am trying to figure out a way to present this to my students as well, when talking about personal minimums and risk management. Great video!

Solid video. Thank you.

After many, many years of inactivity I am planning to reactivate my VFR PPL and then move up to an IFR and possibly more. Your experience, wisdom and recommendations have helped this low time pilot. Thank you!

Thank you. Very helpful.

I love the strike system idea, thanks Trent!

I like the strike idea. Thanks for sharing it. I’m going to create my own list.

This video has been saved in my RU-vid ATP playlist. Thank you 🎉

Excellent video ... thanks!

It is great to hear more and more conversation about this things from people like you or Dan from Probable Cause. The more safety - the better.

Good stuff, glad I stumbled on your account, followed!

Great video. Love the strikes system.

Good information. Thanks.

Love your videos❤ going to take a snapshot of that strike list👍

Good video Trent. Don't dwell on the negative comments. I enjoy your videos and think you have a well thought out approach to your flying. I'm in the same boat as you (career change, just crossed 1k hours) but taking a slightly different approach to time building, using my Mooney to build time. Your video resonates because I'm about to embark on a long cross country to time build and it was a reminder to evaluate my own go/no-go system and take a relaxed approach to this trip. I have no commitments, I have no reason to be any particular place at a particular time. The credit card is always my best backup plan.

great stuff, im sure any one of us can take one or two or more items from this list and maybe add more to their own. definitely valid points

Love the video, excellent one with safety.

Thanks for the video. First time viewer. The strike system is something I might have to adapt.

Great learning video!

Long time follower-I can tell a difference in your tone when you're referring to the trolls. You add a hint of edginess. I like it!

Trent, thank-you for the effort and work you put into making us all better pilots. You are helping to swing the pendulum back to common sense, humanity and growth. Those who chose to go the other way and criticize common sense, well let's just say that some family trees need to be pruned.

Trent you are a success. For many of us 2.0 career individuals, you story is inspiring, your method is proven and your content is rich. We follow you! Don’t pay attention to the losers that only talk behind a keyboard and have zero results to show for.

Welcome to the Banning Pass! Glad you made a video to talk about what we all go through before every flight. We should have a Go/No go list and stick to it.

Great video. I am in process of getting my PPL and sitting right at 51 hours. I watched Patey’s video too and found it illuminating. I just ordered The Killing Zone as well.

This is fantastic advice no matter how many hours. 3 strikes is a fantastic approach to risk mitigation. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for the video.

Excellent video! My PPL instructor made a huge effort teaching me to not take unnecessary risks and to always be safety conscious. His teaching has stuck with me all the way through my training and I try to pass down that same knowledge to my students. The impression us instructors make on our students can lead to a great positive or negative change on safety culture in flying.

Great video Trent!

Absolutely awesome advice.

Thanks a lot for sharing

I am coming from being a CDL driver for the last several years and moving into aviation. Comparing my million+ miles of safe driving to my newly formed entry into aviation I am happy to see that there are a lot of overlapping principles. One of the biggest things that is taught in the CDL world is the “Captain of Your Ship” principle. You are responsible for every aspect surrounding your rig. From your pretrip, to your load, securement, fuel, time management, navigation and post-trip. If there are high winds, precipitation, ice, or unsafe load conditions then as the driver of that truck you have a responsibility to stay off the road. The same applies to whether the vehicle has wings or wheels! The same attitudes that are in the PHAK are the same ones that can contribute to an inexperienced driver running a Peterbilt off the road or into a minivan full of kids. I currently haul over dimensional loads almost exclusively. It’s a task that will very quickly force you to set your ego aside and bolster your patience. Life gets very interesting and stressful when you get over 100,000 lbs. Keep making great content. I appreciate it, Trent. PS-I’m going to call you a 😸for the algorithm, but only because you’re Canadian! LOL JK

I'm glad someone made a video like this especially in light of incidents like the TN FLY GIRL

Excellent, excellent advice. Student pilot here, and I'm taking your extremely sensible advice very seriously. I think that the habits that are formed as a student are the ones that stick with you, and so I intend to take every single flight I do as seriously, preparedly, and intentionally as I possibly can. Thanks for this (as for the trolls, it says much more about them than about you).

Great real video for pilots to get an actual idea of the true dangers and not only seeing what happens to heavy jets.

Hi Trent. I love the content of this video as I am your age and currently a low time pilot.Definitely a great system to follow and will be following this month as I accumulate 70+ hours of cross country for for my Commercial Certificate.

love your intelligence and use of common sense to flying . appreciation from a low time pilot.