Plain English Meaning
It is the pilot stopping to ask, 'Am I really in good enough shape to fly this trip today?' and answering honestly before getting in the aircraft.
Full Definition
An honest evaluation a pilot conducts on themselves before and during a flight to determine whether they are physically, mentally, and situationally fit to fly. It typically covers personal health, fatigue, stress, recent experience, currency, and the demands of the planned flight, and is used to decide whether to go, delay, or cancel.
Context Anchor
Used in flight training, preflight planning, and risk management discussions before a pilot decides to go, delay, change, or cancel a flight.
Derivation
“Assess” comes from a Latin idea meaning “to sit beside” and judge or estimate something carefully. In this term, the pilot is stepping back and judging their own before acting as .