General aviation pilots can learn to use the same techniques and resources as air carrier crews. The result is greater professionalism.

By Jeremy Jankowski

Whether you picked up flying as a weekend hobby, for business travel, or otherwise, chances are you’ve thought about what it would be like to be a professional captain aboard a jet transport. Yet even if you fly a Skyhawk or a Cherokee, you can make yourself a pro pilot. The key is to approach your flights with the same safety-minded approach as the professionals.

No matter what you fly, the human interface with the machine is often, if not typically, the weak link in the safety net we count on to protect ourselves and our passengers. Although the technology, power and equipment available to jet jockeys certainly helps…