Situational Awareness

• Threats
• Space
• Inertia 
• Drift
• Altitude, including pressure and density altitude
• Turning radius and effects of speed, configurations, wind, turbulence, weight, visibility
• Weather patterns
• Sun/shadow
• Scale - GA aircraft are but a dot on the landscape
• Merging terrain
• Clear air effect
• Legal requirements
• Recognition of height above terrain
• Appreciation of the need for anticipation versus reaction
• Moral responsibilities – consideration of people and stock
• Appropriate clothing and footwear
• Passenger safety and comfort
• Potential landing options
• Distances for position reports
• Traffic
• Illusions, especially terrain gradient
• Fuel remaining
• Daylight remaining
• Potential for stalling in the turn
• Effect of poor visibility configuration on fuel management
• Potential dehydration effects
• White water content in rivers as indicator of valley gradient