I fly often with an older gentleman who, although a private pilot, has
some shortcomings. He can't seem to figure out cross-wind takeoffs
and/or landings.
I don't just refuse to fly with him, I take the time to gently try to
keep him in the air, where he belongs. There have been occasions where
I have taken the controls from him, again in such a manner as to help
him.
I have another friend who, when his son was killed in Viet Nam, tried
to commit suicide. He noted this on his subsequent medical and we all
know what happened next.
He can only fly when I will go with him and act as the pilot in
command. He is a marginal pilot, but he still gets to fly.

If one is not a pilot, and gets into an airplane with an incompetent
pilot; well, that person takes his/her chances.

If one is a pilot, and someone does a poor or no pre-flight, and then
flies in such a manner as to endanger one, and does/says nothing,
there is no reason to complain about it.

And please don't tell me that you are too intimidated to speak up or
take the controls if the pilot is misbehaving. Reading the posts on
this board convinces me you are all type A personalities who would
never meekly let someone kill them.



On Sun, 10 Apr 2005 00:41:44 -0700, Toño
wrote:

Jay Honeck wrote:
...refused to fly with someone you felt was not entirely safe? (With that
person acting as PIC, not as a passenger in your own plane.)

Absolutely !! And the guy was a good friend too. After a rather heated
discussion he ended up taking remedial training.

We don't speak much anymore...but he's still alive and, more
importantly, so am I ! ;-)


Toño