Be safe! Be good! Be careful! Have fun! We cheerfully chirp such well-meaning phrases to one another multiple times a day, reducing them to clichés and robbing them of any practical meaning. It’s nice to “be” or to “have,” but the key is to do by taking whatever actions are required to achieve the desired state. However, as with many human endeavors, the challenge lies in knowing what should be done.

Fortunately, the aviation community benefits from an enormous range of how-to resources. Among them is the Aviators’ Model Code of Conduct (AMCC), which is, in fact, an entire family of documents intended to help pilots and aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs) master the ever-expanding body of knowledge and technique required to be safe, good, and careful while also having fun in aviation activities. The AMCC:

• Promotes flight and ground safety, professionalism, and pilot contributions to the aviation community and society at large
• Encourages the development and adoption of good judgment, ethical behavior, and personal responsibility
• Supports improved communications between pilots, regulators, and others in the aviation industry

As described by its creators the AMCC is based on ethics, because:

Ethics complements all the regulations, instructional material, and experience we gain in aviation. It helps us to think more effectively about how to fly . (.) Ethical behavior, constructive attitudes, and a positive culture add to safety for individual pilots and foster a healthy aviation community.

Ends and Means

To that end, each document in the AMCC family defines goals to help pilots improve performance and achieve potential by providing practical guidance for implementing the range of operational, practical, ethical, policy, and legal considerations. It seeks to offer: techniques and procedures that will help GA pilots become better aviators; actions to enhance flight safety; pilots’ ethical responsibilities; training, airmanship, and pilot conduct; effective pilot decision-making; pilots’ roles within the larger GA community and society at large; the need for self-regulation by the GA community; and ways to promote GA and make flying a more rewarding experience.

The basic Aviators’ Model Code of Conduct presents its vision of aviation excellence in seven specific areas: (1) General Responsibilities of Aviators; (2) Passengers and People on the Surface; (3) Training and Proficiency; (4) Security; (5) Environmental Issues; (6) Use of Technology; and (7) Advancement and Promotion of Aviation.

For each of the seven areas the AMCC offers recommended practices resulting from:

• Analysis of widespread GA practices and applicable laws and regulations
• Evaluations of diverse aviation codes of conduct and ethics
• Considerations of ethical issues affecting GA and other flight activities
• Examinations of airport rules and regulations
• Reviews of foreign and international laws and practices
• Considerations of various risk-mitigation principles

Extensive deliberations by aviation experts, aviation groups, and the aviation community The AMCC invites use of the code as a foundation for individual airmen, associations, schools, clubs, and other aviation entities to create documents tailored to specific needs.

Check it out, so you can learn more about how to do what it takes to be safe in the sky. (FAA Safety Briefing – JulAug 2012)