Comments on: Bells and Whistles http://www.rapp.org/archives/2006/10/bells_and_whistles/ Ron's the name. Aviation's the game. Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:12:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Dave Starr http://www.rapp.org/archives/2006/10/bells_and_whistles/comment-page-1/#comment-19812 Dave Starr Mon, 16 Oct 2006 00:28:04 +0000 http://www.rapp.org/archives/2006/10/bells_and_whistles/#comment-19812 Well thought out and well said, Ron. Given an average ability and decent instruction there is no such thing as a GA aircraft that's "too much" for an intelligent GA pilot. But sadly there are a tremendous number of examples of attitudinal problems where the pilot misinterprets his skills in other areas of life ... medicine, business, entertainment, investing, etc. as being directly transferable to flying the aircraft and a battle of wills results in which the aircraft wins. I am not a CFI, but have been directly involved with primary and advanced flight training in one manner or another since 1951. I see little change in the attitudinal-related accidents in all those years. Instructor/flight school owner says, "Sorry you can't rent my airplane to do that." Highly successful low-time pilot says, "I could buy and sell you, so I'll buy my own airplane." Blam! Reading accident reports would be a fruitful exercise for pilots at any stage of their career. There is something to learn from virtually every one of them ... and if you're the type of reader who gets involved in the reading you'll find yourself wanting to shout at the subjects of the report sometimes, "no. no, can't you see it coming"? Nova will air a report on the most notorious attitude-related accident of the all this coming week... (I'll try to watch so I can see how close they come to the real accident report ... my guess is not close) ... Tenerife, where an extremely high-time, supremely high-respect captain just pushed up the throttles and barreled off down the runway into another aircraft, sans take-off clearance and with the other members of his crew questioning his actions. Was the airplane too much for him? No, certainly not, but his attitude of infallibility apparently was. A dose of humility would benefit us all. There's a lot to be said for the "Killing Zone" theories being advanced but pilots with hours from 1, to 10, 100, 1000, 10,000 hours and beyond could all remember a line that's stuck in my mind from a WW-II pilot's drinking song: Take heed all you bird men, this tale of remorse, an airplane can throw you as quick as a horse." @ Graeme ... what Kennedy/Bonanza incident were you referring to? Well thought out and well said, Ron. Given an average ability and decent instruction there is no such thing as a GA aircraft that’s “too much” for an intelligent GA pilot. But sadly there are a tremendous number of examples of attitudinal problems where the pilot misinterprets his skills in other areas of life … medicine, business, entertainment, investing, etc. as being directly transferable to flying the aircraft and a battle of wills results in which the aircraft wins.

I am not a CFI, but have been directly involved with primary and advanced flight training in one manner or another since 1951. I see little change in the attitudinal-related accidents in all those years. Instructor/flight school owner says, “Sorry you can’t rent my airplane to do that.” Highly successful low-time pilot says, “I could buy and sell you, so I’ll buy my own airplane.” Blam!

Reading accident reports would be a fruitful exercise for pilots at any stage of their career. There is something to learn from virtually every one of them … and if you’re the type of reader who gets involved in the reading you’ll find yourself wanting to shout at the subjects of the report sometimes, “no. no, can’t you see it coming”?

Nova will air a report on the most notorious attitude-related accident of the all this coming week… (I’ll try to watch so I can see how close they come to the real accident report … my guess is not close) … Tenerife, where an extremely high-time, supremely high-respect captain just pushed up the throttles and barreled off down the runway into another aircraft, sans take-off clearance and with the other members of his crew questioning his actions. Was the airplane too much for him? No, certainly not, but his attitude of infallibility apparently was.

A dose of humility would benefit us all. There’s a lot to be said for the “Killing Zone” theories being advanced but pilots with hours from 1, to 10, 100, 1000, 10,000 hours and beyond could all remember a line that’s stuck in my mind from a WW-II pilot’s drinking song: Take heed all you bird men, this tale of remorse, an airplane can throw you as quick as a horse.”

@ Graeme … what Kennedy/Bonanza incident were you referring to?

]]> By: Graeme http://www.rapp.org/archives/2006/10/bells_and_whistles/comment-page-1/#comment-19811 Graeme Sun, 15 Oct 2006 23:34:36 +0000 http://www.rapp.org/archives/2006/10/bells_and_whistles/#comment-19811 Well Written Ron. There is a reason I used you to help me get checked out in a new type of A/C the and the G1000. You helped a lot making me confident in that. Sure, it takes a right TYPE of pilot to fly the SR20's and the 22's..and you are not the only one in the past week to write an arcticle calling the SR2X "too much airplane". Look, those A/C can very easily get ahead of the (lowtime) pilot and can become dangerous. From what I've read, the SR20 is a rock solid plane when you fly it from point A to Point B, a bit tricky (or different to land) and fun to fly. But it should be stable, easy to fly and predictable is what I've also heard. I've read other stories recently regarding the Kennedy incident that he died as well...because his Bonanza was too much plane and a bit too complex. Well Written Ron. There is a reason I used you to help me get checked out in a new type of A/C the and the G1000. You helped a lot making me confident in that. Sure, it takes a right TYPE of pilot to fly the SR20’s and the 22’s..and you are not the only one in the past week to write an arcticle calling the SR2X “too much airplane”. Look, those A/C can very easily get ahead of the (lowtime) pilot and can become dangerous. From what I’ve read, the SR20 is a rock solid plane when you fly it from point A to Point B, a bit tricky (or different to land) and fun to fly. But it should be stable, easy to fly and predictable is what I’ve also heard. I’ve read other stories recently regarding the Kennedy incident that he died as well…because his Bonanza was too much plane and a bit too complex.

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