We've all heard the expression "staying ahead of the airplane" but what does it really mean to each of us? To different people it may well mean different things. Rod Machado advocates that, when in IMC (instrument meteorological conditions - in cloud), a pilot should at all times have determined what are the next two things he/she is going to do. He says we should constantly be asking ourselves, "What are the next two things I'm going to be doing?" This seems a bit much, although it is an excellent idea. Perhaps keeping in mind the single next task is enough for me. I know it is plenty for my pitiful little pea brain at a time when I've got my hands full of an airplane in rotten weather. In fact, staying mentally out in front of a fast-moving flying machine requires that we pay strict attention at all times, IF or VFR. If we fail to do this we find ourselves playing "catch-up" and this invariably leads to trouble. When we are behind and playing catch-up we invariably tend to get farther behind, and each step can lead to another until we end up in a hopeless situation.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/features/eye-of-experience-50staying-out-front