If in Doubt, There is No Doubt

Air racing is one of the most exhilarating but dangerous forms of aviation. We push our aircraft to the absolute limits at low altitude, close to terrain, birds, and unforgiving obstacles. We fly wingtip to wingtip, where wake turbulence and human error can quickly turn deadly. Add heat, workload, and the race clock, and you have the ultimate test of skill and discipline.

Complacency will kill you. Respect for risk keeps you alive.

Before every race, I spend at least 30 minutes alone in my own headspace. The nerves in my stomach aren’t fear, they are focus. They remind me that every lap demands extreme precision.

My goal is simple: fly low, tight, and be predictable. When fellow racers say I looked like I was flying “on rails,” I know I’ve done my job.

In the final race, just before taxi, my avionics lit up with a déjà vu problem: my helmet comms failed again. The temperatures outside were soaring and inside the cickpit it was even hotter, the formation was waiting for me, and my mindspace was already stretched.

The flight lead asked, “Are you out?” My mic was stuck, cutting in and out and jamming comms for all, I had tried everything to fix the issue, but no success so I replied and signaled, “Race 61 is out” and shut down the jet. Seconds later, my team arrived with a spare helmet. Ramp chief yelled, “You can still go!”

But I didn’t.

Could I have restarted? Possibly.

But here’s why I didn’t.

   •   Recognising when human factors are compounding.

   •   Knowing when mental capacity is already maxed.

   •   Respecting that complacency is the deadliest hazard in aviation.

Why I Stayed Out……

Restarting meant more than swapping helmets. I would have needed flight lead and race control approval, a full restart, new checks, adjusting unfamiliar gear, taxiing alone, and a rushed rejoin in sixth position. Worst and most critical of all, my mental capacity was already maxed. Errors were stacking. The Swiss cheese holes were aligning. My head was no longer mentally in the race.

And as my good friend and mentor Jive says: “If in doubt, there is no doubt.”

Walking away hurt. I was gutted for my team and myself. But the right decision is often the hardest. Air racing isn’t about ego, it’s about discipline.

From a human factors perspective, the decision was clear. The safest course wasn’t to rush back in, it was to step out.

Sometimes the bravest call you can make is to call it and say “I’m out”.