Definition
Risk management is the structured process of identifying hazards, assessing the level of risk each one presents, and taking action to eliminate or reduce that risk to an acceptable level before and during a flight.
Plain English
It is the pilot's process of spotting things that could go wrong, deciding how serious they are, and doing something about them before they cause a problem.
Context Anchor
Seen in training, preflight planning, weather decisions, aircraft handling discussions, and any situation where a pilot must decide whether to continue, change the plan, or stop.
Derivation
From 'risk' (the chance of something going wrong) and 'management' (handling something deliberately rather than letting it happen). Together it describes deliberately handling the chance of things going wrong rather than reacting after the fact.
Why Pilots Care
Most general aviation accidents result from poor decisions about risk rather than sudden mechanical failure; applying this process consistently improves safety margins and reduces the likelihood of an incident.
Analogy
Like a hiker checking trail conditions, weather, and daylight before setting out, then choosing a shorter route or turning back if the risk grows too high.
Intuition Check
Risk management does not mean removing every possible danger or being afraid to fly. It means making a clear decision about what level of risk is acceptable and what must be changed before continuing.
Example Sentence 1
Before departing into deteriorating weather, the pilot applied risk management and chose to delay the flight until conditions improved.
Example Sentence 2
In flight the pilot applied risk management by diverting to an alternate airport when fuel reserves dropped below the planned minimum.