Lancair IV-P lost near Lansing MI

The whole money 'n doctors 'n Bonanzas thing makes a nice mantra, but it
totally ignores the most important factor in the equation...

True, many doctors have a high income level.

True, many doctors own expensive toys like Porches, Mercedes, Nikon cameras,
and other such things.

And a Bonanza is an expensive toy. But it does require a certain level of
skill to fly it.

Guess what else takes a certain level of skill? Sawing a man's chest open,
yanking out his heart, cutting the heart open, putting in a few valves,
sticking it back in his chest, and having the patient wake up good as new.

Yes, it takes skill, knowledge, and training. But it takes one more thing to
enable you to do something that could very well kill another human being:
balls! Or more correctly, it takes a very high level of self-confidence.

Some of us are born self-confident; some of us develop self-confidence. But
doctors, during their training, have self-confidence pounded into them.
Simply because a doctor cannot do his/her job without a high degree of
self-confidence.

Military jet-jockeys are also force-fed self-confidence, although many of
them come into the service with a high level. When the wheels come off the
runway that pilot is the best one in the air. But you see quite a few
accidents involving military or ex-military pilots. Why is that? "I can fly
an F-18, I can fly a stinking ultralight!"

I don't do sports, but from what I read, Thurman Munson was a very good
baseball player. It would be reasonable to believe that when he walked onto
the field he was self-confident in his ability to win ball games, and that
he was one of the best in the business. And I'm sure he had plenty of
self-confidence when he pushed the throttles forward on that Citation.
Unfortunately, once he pushed the throttles forward, self-esteem wasn't that
important any more; a different set of traits were needed.

There's an old joke:

Q: "What's the difference between God and a doctor?"

A: "God doesn't think he's a doctor!"

Take a Bonanza. Put a pilot in it, a pilot whose skills are somewhat below
those necessary to fly the aircraft to it's maximum capabilities. As long as
that pilot recognizes his limitations and flies the aircraft within his
limitations, he will probably come out O.K.

Take a Bonanza. Put a pilot in it, a pilot who one hour previously was
sewing somebody's heart closed...






"lowflyer" wrote in message
om...
(Badwater Bill) wrote in message
...


Most of the rich guys who buy them are
doctors, not test pilots. And, it's those weekend types that get
killed when the thing departs from it's normal flight characteristics.


You sound like the guy to answer a question I've had for a long time.
You know the old saw about doctors and Bonanzas. I've always wondered
if it was true. Now you state essentially the same about
Lancairs...it's doctors (of course they are richer than anyone else
who flies) who "fly them and get killed." Assuming you know what
you're talking about, what percent of Lancairs are owned by doctors,
and what percent of fatal Lancair accidents involve doctor pilots as
opposed to any other profession of pilot? Also, using any definition
of rich you wish, are doctor pilots any richer than lawyer pilots,
business man pilots,etc. I have no bone to pick here other than
wanting to know whether this stereotyping is justified. I won't know
unless you or anyone else can back it up with referenced statistics.

"Bill Denton" wrote in message
...

Take a Bonanza. Put a pilot in it, a pilot who one hour previously was
sewing somebody's heart closed...

First of all, few doctors do work that is as dramatic as you say... probably
similar to the percentage of pilots who regularly do inverted flat spins.

Second of all, self-confidence is a TERRIFIC pilot attribute. The problem
only comes in when that self-confidence is not equally tempered with an
understanding of one's limitations. As for doctors, the concept of risk vs.
benefit is very well understood. The sports analogy does not hold.


--------------------
Richard Kaplan, CFII

www.flyimc.com

On Thu, 03 Jun 2004 16:45:42 GMT, "Richard Kaplan"
wrote:


"Bill Denton" wrote in message
...

Take a Bonanza. Put a pilot in it, a pilot who one hour previously was
sewing somebody's heart closed...

First of all, few doctors do work that is as dramatic as you say... probably
similar to the percentage of pilots who regularly do inverted flat spins.

Second of all, self-confidence is a TERRIFIC pilot attribute. The problem
only comes in when that self-confidence is not equally tempered with an
understanding of one's limitations. As for doctors, the concept of risk vs.
benefit is very well understood. The sports analogy does not hold.


--------------------
Richard Kaplan, CFII

You guys are very interesting to read. Where the hell did you come
from? I've rarely seen such thought provoking posts on RAH. It must
be the cross post to this other group on piloting. Thank you for
taking the time to share your thoughts here.

What you say here reminds me of John Kennedy and his crash. Here was
a guy with all the money in the world, all the women he'd ever need,
all the "everything" that being rich could bring a guy. I think that
someone like him may have extrapolated into thinking they were so
blessed that they didn't need to pay attention in an airplane in
marginal VFR conditions without proper training.

As an old time CFI and CFII I've seen this a lot and it's what I call
the "Doctor" syndrome, although it isn't strictly reserved to doctors.
These people are so successful in every aspect of their lives that
they assume they will be "just as blessed" with good luck, proper
responses and problem solving techniques in a 200 mph airplane in IMC.
It is as you guys say. It's an ego thing of self confidence. Kennedy
was so successful and blessed, he knew the laws of physics were for
everyone else and since he was so special, they just didn't apply to
him. It's a mind-set. I for one, think this had a lot to do with
what bit him.

BWB