Definition
To identify hazards in a flight or training operation, evaluate the likelihood and severity of the resulting risks, and take deliberate action to eliminate, reduce, or accept those risks before and during the flight. In the instructor context, it is the ongoing professional responsibility to recognize unsafe conditions in students, aircraft, environment, and operation, and to respond in a way that keeps the flight within acceptable safety margins.
Plain English
Spot what could go wrong, decide how serious it is, and do something about it before it becomes a problem.
Context Anchor
Seen in instructor conduct, preflight planning, decisions about whether to fly, and in-flight choices when conditions change.
Derivation
Manage' comes from the Italian maneggiare, meaning to handle or control (originally a horse). 'Risk' comes from the Italian risco, meaning danger. Together the phrase means to actively handle danger rather than ignore it or simply hope it doesn't appear.
Why Pilots Care
Instructors who manage risk effectively protect students from preventable accidents and instill lifelong habits of safe decision-making.
Grounding Statement
If weather worsens, fuel becomes a concern, or a student is struggling, managing risk means changing the plan before the situation becomes unsafe.
Intuition Check
Managing risk does not mean making flying risk-free. It means recognizing the risk that remains and actively reducing it to a level that is reasonable for the situation.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor chose to postpone the lesson when forecast crosswinds exceeded the student's demonstrated ability, citing a duty to manage risk.
Example Sentence 2
During the cross-country flight the instructor let the student handle the radios but stayed ready to manage risk by taking control if workload became too high.