Over a hundred pilots joined us at Goodwood recently for the Ultimate High Flight Safety Forum.
The presentations covered a wide range of topics:
Loss of Control
Startle and surprise
Engine management
Human factors
Decision making
What struck me most, however, was not the differences between the speakers. It was how often they arrived at exactly the same conclusions. Whether discussing commercial aviation accidents, military flying, general aviation incidents or engine failures, the same themes kept emerging:
✅ Protect your margins
✅ Expect to be surprised
✅ Fly the aircraft first
✅ Make decisions before options disappear
✅ Learn from every flight
In many ways, accidents don’t begin with the stall, spin, engine failure or weather encounter.
They begin much earlier.
Margins gradually reduce.
Workload gradually increases.
Options gradually disappear.
Then something unexpected happens.
The challenge for all of us as pilots is recognising that process before it becomes an emergency.
The forum generated some fascinating discussions and we are currently working on how best to capture and share some of the key lessons more widely.
In the meantime, we’d like to thank all the speakers, sponsors, volunteers and attendees who helped make the day such a success.
Most importantly, thank you to the pilots who turned up with open minds and a willingness to challenge their own assumptions.
That’s where safer flying starts.
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