FAA Instrument Rating Airplane (IRA)Aeromedical and ADMHard

A pilot planning an IFR flight considers four broad categories of risk: personal proficiency and currency, aircraft equipment and performance, weather and terrain, and pressures such as passenger schedules. This structured approach to identifying risk before flight is known as the:

  1. APAVE checklist
  2. B5P model
  3. CCRM model
  4. DDECIDE model
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A. PAVE checklist

The PAVE checklist divides flight risk into four categories: Pilot (proficiency, currency, health), Aircraft (equipment, performance, limitations), enVironment (weather, terrain, airspace, airport conditions), and External pressures (get-there-itis, passenger expectations, schedules). This structured framework helps pilots systematically assess overall flight risk before departure.

Why the other options are wrong

  • B. The 5P model (Plan, Plane, Pilot, Passengers, Programming) is a similar but distinct risk framework with different categories.
  • C. CRM (Crew Resource Management) concerns communication and coordination, not a risk category checklist.
  • D. DECIDE is a six-step sequential decision-making process, not a four-category risk identification tool.

PAVE Checklist

A risk management framework dividing flight risk into four categories: Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, and External pressures.

  • Pilot: currency, proficiency, health/IMSAFE
  • Aircraft: airworthiness, performance, equipment
  • enVironment: weather, terrain, airport, airspace
  • External pressures: schedules, passenger expectations, get-there-itis

Memory trick: PAVE the way: Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, External pressures.

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