Whether transitioning up or down, the sight ûpicture for landing is something that should ûnot be left to chance.

If you’re ever lucky enough to fly a transport-category simulator, you’ll probably be overwhelmed by the first few minutes of the experience. The big airplane’s systems are complex and compared to a light aircraft, the handling can best be described as whale-like. Anticipation and patience are critical skills.

But what about the other side of this coin, the heavy jet pilot slumming down into a light GA airplane? Does it present similar pitfalls? Indeed it does, especially for pilots who haven’t stepped into anything small for many years. There are lots of examples in the accident record that show that transitioning down has smeared an otherwise clean safety record for some…