Episode 77. Airport kids and CRM lessons, with Kevin Garrison

By John Zimmerman
May 7, 2024
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Kevin Garrison grew up riding his bike to the local airport, then built time flying freight before enjoying a 30-year career as an airline pilot. In this honest (and hilarious) episode, he shares what he experienced along the way, including: what you learn when you scare yourself in an airplane, how to be a good airline captain, and why habit patterns matter. He also urges pilots to have fun when they fly and explains why many pilots talk too much on the radio. In the Ready to Copy segment, Kevin busts an airline pilot myth, shares his favorite Boeing model, and describes how to be a good airport bum.

Quotes:

Why there aren’t more airport kids: “Kids nowadays seem to have to have a program that’s monitored in order for them to have activities.”
Lessons learned flying checks at night: “If you’re flying a light twin through the Southeast during thunderstorm season at night and you haven’t slept in three days, you kinda learn your limits.”
Why comfort matters: “Airline passengers especially don’t remember if you get 'em there safely and comfortably. If you scare the crap out of them, they’re never gonna forget and they’re never going to stop talking to their friends about it.”
Setting the tone as an airline captain: “I would normally fly the first leg, just so they could lower their expectations and just relax.”
Airline lessons for GA pilots: “Habit patterns are really important... you follow the checklist but you know the flows.”
Why two pilots matter: “You’re always gonna make mistakes. Every single leg you’re going to make a mistake or two.”
Why pilots need to relax: “I flew with guys so wound up, so tense, when things were normal—you wondered what in the world they were gonna do if something went wrong.”
Tips for new airline pilots: “First of all: you belong there... also, you’re not competing with anybody anymore.”
Having fun: “Generally, the concept of fun in aviation seems to be dwindling.”
Thinking about safety: “You’ll never see a boating magazine with an entire section devoted to fatal boat accidents.”
Making too many radio calls: “People get so hung up on making radio calls that they don’t actually fly their airplane safely. There’s really no need to communicate every thought you’ve ever had.”