Situational Awareness

Situational Awareness has many definitions. The most widely accepted seems to be Endsley’s “the perception of elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their status in the near future.” Boiling that down, it essentially means knowing what is going on around you and what actions you may need to take to achieve a predetermined outcome.

In aviation, this is preached to us from day one. “Know where you are, know where other aircraft are, know where the ground is, understand what your aircraft is telling you, know its limitations, know your limitations, stay in the OODA loop mindset.” This behavior eventually becomes habitual in and out of the cockpit. While that is a good thing, it also lead me to believe that everyone had at least some sense of SA……I was wrong.

Grab a cup of coffee and take a seat at any food court in one of our nation’s shopping malls. Look at the masses come and go. It’s amazing how many of them never look up from their phones, people with their heads down looking in their bags, not having a clue as to who or what is going on around them and their children. These are the people that would be completely taken off guard should an any type of crises play out; they are also the majority.

What do you do before you go into a mall or any area with a large population of people? Do you check for multiple exits? Good cover? At a hotel, do you count the number of doors from your room to the stairs should there be a fire and the hallways fill with smoke? Do you try to get the aisle seat at concerts, sporting events and on airliners to allow for fewer restrictions to movement? Do you assess individuals in your immediate area?

Sure, some might think it’s a little paranoid but I like to call it prepared. If one takes care of the little issues up front, they don’t need to take the time to figure those out if a crisis arises. It plays an integral role in SA. You’re getting familiar with the surroundings and you have a plan in place. With that, you’re already ahead of the power curve and your odds of survival increase.

If you’re one of the few that keeps their head on a swivel and truly comprehends what is going on around you, I applaud you. If you think you could use some work in that department, find a good company with competent instructors who have real life experience and sign up for some courses. Then go to the mall and have fun just people watching; you’d be amazed.