Most pilots suck at Aviate Navigate Communicate, and they don't even know it

I recently did a flight with a flight instructor, practicing circuits at my local airport. Climb at Vy, establish at circuit height, turn downwind, do my BUMFICH (GUMPS for the North American readers), call downwind, set up for the approach, touch-down, get back in the air, and repeat. I notice however, during the downwind, that the instructor is getting increasingly uncomfortable until I make radio call, before relaxing again. Sure enough, during the debrief, the instructor tells me that I'm taking too long to call downwind on the radio, and that I should do it sooner. This for me, was an excellent example of the subject of this post.

I can tell you that the acronym ANC - aviate, navigate, communicate - is crucial to the success of any flight. These three simple words represent the three primary tasks that a pilot must constantly prioritize in the cockpit.

Aviate refers to the physical act of flying the aircraft. This includes maintaining a stable and safe altitude, speed, and attitude, as well as executing turns, climbs, and descents as required.

Navigate refers to determining and following a course to the intended destination. This can be done using instruments such as a navigation system or a map, or by visually observing landmarks and other cues.

Communicate refers to the exchange of information with air traffic control, other aircraft, and ground personnel. This includes transmitting and receiving messages via radio, as well as coordinating with other crew members and passengers.

It's important to note that these three tasks are not mutually exclusive - in fact, they often overlap and must be balanced against each other. For example, a pilot may need to communicate with air traffic control while also navigating to a new waypoint and adjusting the aircraft's speed and altitude.

Despite the importance of ANC, I have seen many pilots fail to adhere to it, even when they think they are doing so. This can be due to a variety of factors, such as complacency, fatigue, or distractions in the cockpit. Ususally however, it's due to a tendency to hyperfocus on a single task, and letting other things fall to the side, which results in a loss of situational awareness.

And here's why. ANC does not seem to encompass everything a pilot must do. Where do checklists and flows fall into ANC? What about decision-making? This is where most pilots get caught out.

From personal experience, I believe that ANC is vital, but incomplete. Aviate, should always remain the most important priority. Nothing else can happen if the aircraft isn't under positive control. Likewise, Navigate should be the next priority, since knowing where you are is the foundation of solid situational awareness. This is where I believe the line starts to blur a little, which brings us back to that day where I was practicing circuits with the other flight instructor. 

There will be times where making a radio call promptly is crucial for safety. For the most part however, AN, operating the aircraft as you're meant to, energy-management, flight-path management, and checklists, will always take precendence. But those things do not appear in ANC. As one flies in the circuit, in VFR, in plain sight of the traffic in a predictable and repetitive way, making the downwind call remains at the very bottom of my pile of priorities. The tower knows where I am and where I'm going, so I'm going to focus on finishing my checks before making the call, thanks, no matter what my esteemed colleague says.

This sort of reaction though, is something that can be seen quite often in aviation, and it isn't anybody's fault. It's a misunderstanding of the concept of ANC.

In conclusion, ANC - aviate, navigate, communicate - is the foundation of safe and successful flight. By constantly prioritizing these three tasks, pilots can ensure that they are able to safely and efficiently get their aircraft and passengers to their intended destination.