Edu-Leadership

Pilot Performance

"The Flight Environment"

Pilot Performance - "The Flight Environment" was originally featured in The CEO Refresher and is reprinted with permission.

The flight environment is a rapidly changing three dimensional world that we can only begin to appreciate at ground level. Weather conditions take on new meaning in aviation as you are actually inside of the environment that you could take shelter from on the ground. An understanding of meteorology and weather, and the effects on flying is a prerequisite for pilot licensing and critical to the planning and execution of safe and efficient aviation.

The environment of education is a rapidly changing three dimensional world that we can only begin to appreciate at the building level. 'Weather' conditions take on new meaning in education as you encounter the atmosphere of the school - under change. An understanding of climate and building environment, as well as their effects on learning, is a prerequisite for successfully flight into greater teacher and student performance, and critical to the planning and execution of a safe and orderly building.

An aircraft in flight is supported within the atmosphere enveloping the earth. The earth’s surface agitates the lower portion of the atmosphere and adds moisture, causing shifting winds, powerful up and down drafts, clouds, and storms within a layer approximately seven miles deep. Like water in the oceans, the air is in continual motion creating wind and turbulence. Moisture in the atmosphere varies, existing as water vapour or becoming visible as water droplets, ice crystals, clouds, and precipitation. Air density also varies affecting an aircraft’s performance and flight characteristics. Temperature and pressure also play an important role in the interaction of factors that produce weather phenomena. Temperature variations cause pressure variations, which lead to air movement, which in turn creates further variations in temperature and pressure. The surface of the earth contributes by supplying heat and moisture to the atmosphere, and through the variations in topography.

The climate of a school is characterized by the movement of 'spirit' across a campus. 'Up draft' - the attitude required to move to higher altitudes - is best described as the energy engaged in creating a climate and environment of involvement and support for higher standards, performance, and expectations. School climate is the pattern of behaviors, beliefs, morale, and personality that envelopes the individuals within the school building. Weathering the hazards of shifting winds, downdrafts, and other invisible weather phenomena within the school organization is best accomplished through involvement of all on board, but ensuring stability and calm waters during stormy weather and rapid change is the responsibility of school leadership. Sure things are turbulent, chaotic, rapidly changing, and uncontrollable in education right now, but when the heat is turned up, performance is adjusted to withstand the pressure!

Turbulent, chaotic, rapidly changing, uncontrollable

The flight environment is characterized by major weather patterns affected by the movement of air masses, continental factors and topographical features and also by the very localized features and geographical characteristics. Weather changes very rapidly, often within minutes and conditions may vary significantly between short distances. Some weather hazards such as downdrafts, windshifts, windshear and low air density are invisible, with no discernible warning of their occurrence. Icing is a significant hazard often occurring at temperatures when it is least expected. Weather changes in flight at different altitudes can be insidious and difficult to discern, presenting an ongoing challenge to the successful and safe operation of an aircraft.

Like the flight environment, the weather in education can change very rapidly and produce hazardous conditions within an otherwise healthy school climate. The destructive elements, often in the form of faulty communication, power issues, conflicts, misperceptions, and rumors, arrive unpredictably, with no discernible warning of the occurrence. These hazards can cause shifts in a school's climate and create ongoing challenges to generating high performance in faculty, staff, and students.

Great advances have been made in the understanding of the characteristics, composition, and dynamics of the atmosphere. Weather phenomena and conditions can to a large degree be forecasted with a reasonable degree of accuracy, and there is an extensive weather monitoring and information network available. The flight environment is understandable to a high degree, predictable to a degree, but in the final analysis it is totally uncontrollable.

Great advances have been made in the understanding of the characteristics, composition, and dynamics of a high performing school climate. Reaching for high altitudes and fostering 'up-draft' in a school climate can be accomplished through environmental conditions that include support, trust, accountability, open communication, and a 'can do' attitude. Reaching for high achievement can be accomplished in an environment that supports 'personal best' in each individual. Through extensive 'weather' monitoring and information networking, school leaders can help clear the air of storms that endanger the school in flight!

How do you execute with skill and precision in an uncontrollable environment?

Effective performance requires the ability and skill to adapt quickly and decisively to the changes in the world in which we operate, developing a new and unique response to every new and unique set of circumstances. In this respect the challenge is not one of control or bringing order to chaos, but rather accepting chaos, change, and turbulence, embracing it, and operating with skill and proficiency within it to achieve your objectives.

Effective school climate requires the ability and skill to adapt quickly and decisively to the changes in the world in which we operate, developing a new and unique response to every new and unique set of circumstances. In this respect the challenge is not one of control or bringing order to chaos, but rather accepting chaos, change, and turbulence, embracing it, and operating with skill and proficiency within it to achieve your objectives.

Henry K. and Bettina