wrote:

Pilot attempted to make a low pass / practice finish. He remembers 120
knots at 50 feet. Has vague recollection of being pushed against the
straps and objects floating in the cockpit. Then a spinning sensation
followed by dirt in the cockpit. A borrowed Ventus destroyed, his ankle
shattered and broken bone in other foot.

Why was this pilot practicing this maneuver? Because we sanction it,
its part of what we do. It's in the rules. There's a lot of monkey-see,
monkey-do, going on here.

Say, JJ, did they point you at the range and tell you, "here's some 20mm and
some little blue bombs -- now go do what you've seen in the films"? Or did
they give you a bunch of dual training, good briefs and debriefs, and lots
of practice?

Are we ignoring training while trying to legislate safety? Why didn't he
know how to do the maneuver safely, and under what conditions not to attempt it?


Jack