Dudley Henriques wrote in
:

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Dudley Henriques wrote in
:


I think a lot of us who come up with the "aerobatics bug" start out
even without realizing it in some cases that knowing how to fly acro
and doing it sets us apart from the "average" pilot. It's a falsely
conceived premise at best that some actually never shed .
Those who don't are usually the ones who end up dead. It's THAT
simple!


I'm a bit confused as to what you mean here, unless it's that some
aerobatic pilots have notions about ourselves above our station.


It's simple really. Pilots exist for the most part as a specialized
group. Even loners are part of the "group"

By definition, flying is an acquired skill obtained through knowledge
and experience. The "group" recognizes those who can do things with an
airplane others in the group can't do. It's a natural pecking order
where the ability to perform aerobatics rates highly among many in the
group. This isn't to say that aerobatic pilots are better than others
in the group, but rather that the ability to perform aerobatics and
fly certain aircraft can be a "respected position" in the flying
community. Knowing this is practically unavoidable if one exists in
the flying community as a pilot.
It's quite natural therefore, (right or wrong), that SOME pilots
acquiring aerobatic skills tend toward envisioning themselves as
being "a step up" in the pecking order. If not recognized by an
individual pilot when and if this happens for it's potential toward
the development of false confidence, the situation can be a real
problem for some individuals.
The trick of course is for the acrobatically competent pilot to
recognize that part of the price for that "step up" in the pecking
order is a dual responsibility to accept aerobatics and the dangers
associated with them with the respect they are due and as well make
every attempt to instill that same respect in other pilots.

This is nothing more really, than a pedantic way of saying that pilots
acquiring aerobatic skills need to acquire aerobatic responsibility as
well. The two are inseparable and the first without the latter will
kill you dead. The residual of all this is that without
responsibility, what you do can influence someone else and possibly
kill them dead as well.


OK, I understand what you meant now. You jes dinda write it sa good the
furst time.
Yes, absolutely. We had a very good group in PA and showing off, within
reason and under the watchful eye of the top chicken was fairly normal,
until one day, when a student pilot (and I mean a student pilot) did an
inverted low pass over the field in a ****ing glider!
Now it wasn't all that low, but still!
The lid was put on any more showboating on weekends. Low level stuff was
treated less casually from that day onwards dispaly practice was always
seen as something that had to have at least tacit approval from the
airfield operator.
!!"


Hm, yes. I never thought this through before, but it rings true. I'm
never shy about a little showing off and I think most pilots are like
that, but I never liked being cajoled into doing something but I'm
uncertain as to whether that was because I have some sort of innate
wisdom or because I'm an anarchist at heart.

We'll have to share a few Jack Daniels' sometime and discuss this in
more depth

You're preaching to the choir anyway. I've cone to realise most, if not
all of this stuff, in one form or another through exposure to some very
good guys and some very bad experiences.
Also, I drink Jameson.



This is a perfectly normal process. I went through it as well.
(Remember, I probably own the most widely publicized buzz job in
aviation history :-)
The trick is to recognize it early on and control it which I'm sure
both of us managed to do.

Well, if anone ever really learned to control it completely theyh
probably wouldn't do it at all!
The only safe ship never leaves the harbour and all that.




Douglas did have a way with words. Once to a group of paraplegic
children he visited in a hospital;

“Don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can't do this or
that.
That's nonsense. Make up your mind you'll never use crutches or a
stick, then have a go at everything. Go to school, join in all the
games you can. Go anywhere you want to. But never, never let them
persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible.”

Ya gotta love the guy!! :-))


Did he ever talk abuot his accident to you?

From what little I know about it, (the movie) he crashed a Bulldog doing
a hotdog low alt roll.



Bertie