On Aug 26, 12:20*pm, Walt Connelly
wrote:

Is it that with experience comes
complacency?

Well, one thing I've observed from a few accidents around my area is
that people confuse "total time" with "currency". They are two VERY
different things. A high-time pilot can be rusty and out-of-practice,
and therefore exhibit sub-par airmanship just as easily as a low-time
pilot. But I've seen a lot of people show extreme deference to high-
time pilots, and simply assume that said pilot is automatically
qualified, current, and safe to fly whenever they show up.

Showing respect is fine; but we do everyone a disservice when we
abdicate our responsibility to exercise good judgment about the safety
of an operation, and fail to act as checks-and-balances on one
another. No one - no matter their total experience-level - is immune
to making a mistake, becoming complacent, or simply mis-estimating our
skills & preparedness.

Given the other comments in this thread, the above comments may not
apply in this specific incident; but think about it the next time you
see a high-time pilot show up at the airport for the first time in a
while. Or if you notice someone who's strictly been giving rides and
instruction for months suddenly head out for a cross-country flight.
Stop, ask him/her when they last flew. Offer to provide help, or to
offer a CAC or PCC. Offer to double-check their safety gear /
supplies. You have to be polite, respectful, and diplomatic about
this; but don't just assume that because they're high-time that they
deserve a hands-off/red-carpet treatment. If we help each other out,
we can catch each other's mistakes, and have fewer devastated friends
and family.

--Noel