audio of VFR pilot in IFR condictions

http://www.naats.org/docs/flightassist.mp3

On Wed, 24 Dec 2003 23:34:45 -0500, Aardvark
wrote:

http://www.naats.org/docs/flightassist.mp3

Talk about dodging a bullet. Whew!

Rob

On Wed, 24 Dec 2003 23:34:45 -0500, Aardvark
wrote in Message-Id:
:

http://www.naats.org/docs/flightassist.mp3

While this FSS controller promotional audio clip seems to provide a
glimpse at a very frightened pilot's fear of death, I failed to find
any meaningful assistance provided by FAA personnel other than some
dubious control input suggestions. It seems the pilot was able to
regain control of his aircraft and composure merely as a result of
having the (false?) reassurance of contact with another human.
Interesting stuff.

In article , Larry Dighera says...

On Wed, 24 Dec 2003 23:34:45 -0500, Aardvark
wrote in Message-Id:
:

http://www.naats.org/docs/flightassist.mp3

While this FSS controller promotional audio clip seems to provide a
glimpse at a very frightened pilot's fear of death, I failed to find
any meaningful assistance provided by FAA personnel other than some
dubious control input suggestions. It seems the pilot was able to
regain control of his aircraft and composure merely as a result of
having the (false?) reassurance of contact with another human.
Interesting stuff.

It also goes to show that flying really can't be _that_ dangerous at all. Look
at all the almost winners of Darwin awards that are still out there alive and
flying today.

Recently, Larry Dighera posted:

On Wed, 24 Dec 2003 23:34:45 -0500, Aardvark
wrote in Message-Id:
:

http://www.naats.org/docs/flightassist.mp3

While this FSS controller promotional audio clip seems to provide a
glimpse at a very frightened pilot's fear of death, I failed to find
any meaningful assistance provided by FAA personnel other than some
dubious control input suggestions. It seems the pilot was able to
regain control of his aircraft and composure merely as a result of
having the (false?) reassurance of contact with another human.
Interesting stuff.

If the pilot had been unable to regain control, the rest would have been
moot. Once control was regained, the guy was still lost, with no idea of
which way to turn to get into VFR conditions. To me, that was the
meaningful assistance provided by the FAA personnel, and I'm hard pressed
to think of a reasonable substitute.

Regards & happy holidays,

Neil

Great stuff!

Here's a picture of the airplane (scroll down):

http://www.directwfc.com/fleet.htm

--
Roger Long

Simple example of what gets people killed in any sort of risky activity
(be it rock climbing, mountaineering, scuba diving, etc..)

PANIC!

The guy was completely freaked out initally in the IFR, all he had to do
was look at the damn instruments and put himself in level flight and
wait for direction..

Geez!

This is why you need to train and THINK about your response to
emergencies so you don't turn into a COMPLETE freaking idiot in an
emergency...



(anyhow, I wasn't all that impressed with the ATC in the intial
emergency anyhow!)

"Chris Schmelzer" wrote in message
...
Simple example of what gets people killed in any sort of risky activity
(be it rock climbing, mountaineering, scuba diving, etc..)

PANIC!

The guy was completely freaked out initally in the IFR, all he had to do
was look at the damn instruments and put himself in level flight and
wait for direction..

Geez!

There are fatal accidents in IFR by experienced pilots who get disoriented.
This assumption that returning to straight and level is simple and obvious
is frighteningly naive.



This is why you need to train and THINK about your response to
emergencies so you don't turn into a COMPLETE freaking idiot in an
emergency...


Well luckily, you are completely sure you'll never panic...

I agree the pilot on the tape did a lousy job getting into the spin. That's
part of the point - recognize that you might do the same thing. Being in a
spin inside the clouds and having to recover by insturments sounds pretty
damn tough to me.

Michael

"Chris Schmelzer" wrote in message


Simple example of what gets people killed in any sort of risky
activity (be it rock climbing, mountaineering, scuba diving, etc..)

PANIC!

Quite true.

...all he had to
do was look at the damn instruments and put himself in level flight
and wait for direction..

It's very easy to judge when you're not the one in his situation. Even
instrument rated pilots have been known to lose control after venturing into
IMC.

This is why you need to train and THINK about your response to
emergencies so you don't turn into a COMPLETE freaking idiot in an
emergency...

Luckily that (turning into an "idiot") will never happen to you, right?

--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/TknoFlyer
http://www.pocketgear.com/products_s...veloperid=4415
____________________

Interesting link.

What confuses me is that the purpose of the clip (presumably) is to show an
example of exceptional assistance from a controller, yet, while passing the
pilot to a controller on another frequency the original controller can be
heard saying that he is passing on a pilot who is squawking 1200 when in
fact they had asked him (several times and he eventually complied) to change
his squawk to 7700. Eventually they corrected this error.

The other thing that bugs me is that the VFR pilot (like another poster has
already said) really received very little useful control input (aside from
the first instruction to break the stall) and instrument interpretation
instructions. At one point the VFR pilot was simply told to "just fly
straight and level" when the pilot found himself in IMC again. I can think
of a plethora of other suggestions that might have been made to the VFR
pilot, on how exactly he should interpret 'straight and level' using his
instruments and more importantly how to make turns at a bank and turn rate
that is appropriate to being in IMC. All of which could be explained
quickly without overwhelming the pilot.

I was surprised to learn that one of the controllers at another airport I've
flown to in the past, actually had never been a pilot NOR ever BEEN IN a
G.A. aircraft.

--
--
=-----
Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures complete with pictures and text at:
www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -