My wife getting scared

On Mon, 1 Oct 2007 02:58:02 +0000 (UTC), Paul Tomblin wrote:

Three years ago, the DE who passed me on my private and instrument tickets
died in a stupid accident.

Sorry, but you've peaked my curiosity a bit. I'm wondering how a DE, who
should in theory be very familiar with aviation safety, could died in a
stupid accident.

Can you tell us what happened?

--
Dallas

Dallas wrote:
On Mon, 1 Oct 2007 02:58:02 +0000 (UTC), Paul Tomblin wrote:

Three years ago, the DE who passed me on my private and instrument tickets
died in a stupid accident.

Sorry, but you've peaked my curiosity a bit. I'm wondering how a DE, who
should in theory be very familiar with aviation safety, could died in a
stupid accident.

Can you tell us what happened?


Happens frequently. I'm working with an accident right now that involves
a highly experienced demonstration pilot who suddenly and for no
apparent reason began a Split S at an altitude below that required for a
recovery.
Any pilot, no matter how experienced, can suffer a "brain fart" for lack
of a better term. The study on how to prevent this from happening both
to myself and to others has occupied a great of my time for the last
fifty years or so.

--
Dudley Henriques

"Dudley Henriques" wrote:

Any pilot, no matter how experienced, can suffer a "brain fart" for lack of
a better term.

Quite so. And the consequences of a pilot's BF are much more likely to be
fatal than a driver's.

Yet we often see posts in these groups from pilots who imagine that their
superior judgent and skill have made them sufficiently immune from these
lapses that they are safer flying than driving. This rather juvenile illusion
of superiority contributes to the distressing fatal accident rate of private
GA flying, I believe.


--
Dan
T-182T at BFM

Dan Luke wrote:
"Dudley Henriques" wrote:

Any pilot, no matter how experienced, can suffer a "brain fart" for lack of
a better term.

Quite so. And the consequences of a pilot's BF are much more likely to be
fatal than a driver's.

Yet we often see posts in these groups from pilots who imagine that their
superior judgent and skill have made them sufficiently immune from these
lapses that they are safer flying than driving. This rather juvenile illusion
of superiority contributes to the distressing fatal accident rate of private
GA flying, I believe.



Pilots have to learn early on that there is a difference between
confidence and over confidence. They also have to learn that being a so
called "conservative" pilot doesn't mean that when aggressive action is
required NOW that they will have the option of thinking out the problem.
Flying is not unlike many other endeavors where preparation, practice,
training, and the ability to think on your feet are absolute essentials
to survival.
Pilots who concentrate on only one of the many aspects required of the
flying venue are the ones prone to accidents.
It's fine to have superior skill. In fact, for a pilot, it's a
requirement. Where the problem arises isn't in thinking you have
superior skill. The problem arises when you think you have superior
skill and actually don't have it. :-)

--
Dudley Henriques

Dudley Henriques wrote:
Dallas wrote:
On Mon, 1 Oct 2007 02:58:02 +0000 (UTC), Paul Tomblin wrote:

Three years ago, the DE who passed me on my private and instrument
tickets
died in a stupid accident.

Sorry, but you've peaked my curiosity a bit. I'm wondering how a DE, who
should in theory be very familiar with aviation safety, could died in a
stupid accident.

Can you tell us what happened?


Happens frequently. I'm working with an accident right now that involves
a highly experienced demonstration pilot who suddenly and for no
apparent reason began a Split S at an altitude below that required for a
recovery.
Any pilot, no matter how experienced, can suffer a "brain fart" for lack
of a better term. The study on how to prevent this from happening both
to myself and to others has occupied a great of my time for the last
fifty years or so.


What are your preliminary conclusions as to how to prevent this?
Obviously, ruling out the "stupid acts" is fairly easy, but I also
wonder about the pilots who really and truly seem very careful and
meticulous yet someone succumb to an apparent moment of weakness.

Matt

Matt Whiting wrote:
Dudley Henriques wrote:
Dallas wrote:
On Mon, 1 Oct 2007 02:58:02 +0000 (UTC), Paul Tomblin wrote:

Three years ago, the DE who passed me on my private and instrument
tickets
died in a stupid accident.

Sorry, but you've peaked my curiosity a bit. I'm wondering how a DE,
who
should in theory be very familiar with aviation safety, could died in a
stupid accident.

Can you tell us what happened?


Happens frequently. I'm working with an accident right now that
involves a highly experienced demonstration pilot who suddenly and for
no apparent reason began a Split S at an altitude below that required
for a recovery.
Any pilot, no matter how experienced, can suffer a "brain fart" for
lack of a better term. The study on how to prevent this from happening
both to myself and to others has occupied a great of my time for the
last fifty years or so.


What are your preliminary conclusions as to how to prevent this?
Obviously, ruling out the "stupid acts" is fairly easy, but I also
wonder about the pilots who really and truly seem very careful and
meticulous yet someone succumb to an apparent moment of weakness.

Matt

Gen Des Barker of the South African Air Force (and ex demonstration and
test pilot) has done an in-depth work on these issues in his book "Zero
Error Margin" where all that has been learned on this subject has been
accumulated in print.
The subject itself is so hefty I wouldn't even try getting into it with
a Usenet post.
Basically what we have discovered in our situation is that although most
display pilots fare well in following set procedures, regulations, and
rules, the breakdown comes at the local level and in many accidents can
be coupled with the psychological circumstances prevailing during an
incident as those circumstances are affecting the individual display pilot.
This is just a pedantic way of saying that what's going on in a pilot's
mental and emotional processes as a display is being flown can under
specific conditions, be a killer.
The fact that we accept these conditions as being present and a danger
doesn't really help us much in solving the issue. The reason for this is
that each pilot will have a specific tolerance for situational
awareness, cockpit over task, and distraction.
In other words, you can take a highly trained professional pilot, fully
checked out on a specific type of aircraft, and with a proven over time
ability to fly a specific demonstration, and that pilot can on a
specific day at a specific instant, make a fatal error.
Again, we realize this can occur, but the actual solution alludes us.
Where we are right now is in making sure we educate the community so
they are collectively aware that this danger lurks out there waiting.
By educating the community to the problem rather than trying to find a
specific "fix" that we believe doesn't exist, we hope to better the
safety record.
Each pilot in other words, is being encouraged and REMINDED, to be in a
constant state of self evaluation as to the ability to perform at any
given time and place.
It ain't much......but it helps!

--
Dudley Henriques

"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
news
Each pilot in other words, is being encouraged and REMINDED, to be in a
constant state of self evaluation as to the ability to perform at any
given time and place.
It ain't much......but it helps!

--
Dudley Henriques

Dudley,

You are exactly right.

I flew a zero-zero GCA, at night, in a UHIB, at the An Khe airfield in late
1965. No other place to go. We were on mortar patrol, had just been relieved
on station by our replacement aircraft. Ground fog had moved in, even the
replacement aircraft was not aware of it. No one expected it. I had an
instrument rating, my copilot did not. Our other option was to go crash in
the jungle someplace (with the bad guys, but where it was clear). Since we
did not have enough fuel to divert to a safe landing area--more than 45
minutes away (hey, this was Nam) we decided it was our only option.
Obviously, we made it, believe it or not, no damage to aircraft or crew. The
GCA Controller got three quarts of Johnny Walker Red the next morning. G

Goes to show, you CAN handle a bad situation, IF you remember your training.

Regards,
Paul
PS Sorry about the misplaced thanks!!

Paul Riley wrote:
"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
news
Each pilot in other words, is being encouraged and REMINDED, to be in a
constant state of self evaluation as to the ability to perform at any
given time and place.
It ain't much......but it helps!

--
Dudley Henriques

Dudley,

You are exactly right.

I flew a zero-zero GCA, at night, in a UHIB, at the An Khe airfield in late
1965. No other place to go. We were on mortar patrol, had just been relieved
on station by our replacement aircraft. Ground fog had moved in, even the
replacement aircraft was not aware of it. No one expected it. I had an
instrument rating, my copilot did not. Our other option was to go crash in
the jungle someplace (with the bad guys, but where it was clear). Since we
did not have enough fuel to divert to a safe landing area--more than 45
minutes away (hey, this was Nam) we decided it was our only option.
Obviously, we made it, believe it or not, no damage to aircraft or crew. The
GCA Controller got three quarts of Johnny Walker Red the next morning. G

Goes to show, you CAN handle a bad situation, IF you remember your training.

Regards,
Paul
PS Sorry about the misplaced thanks!!



Reminds me of that great line from Fate Is The Hunter by Ernie Gann.
With engines going out one by one on their DC6 on the GCA into Thule I
think it was, the pilot (Rod Taylor) is happily singing away with "Blue
Moon". It's 0-0 and the co-pilot, realizing that they only will have one
shot at the landing is REALLY getting worried. Finally he can't stand it
any longer and interrupts Taylor's singing;
"How the hell can you be so damn calm?"
"Don't worry" says Taylor, "The runway will be there".
"Suppose we screw up the approach. Suppose the radar is off a degree or
two. Suppose the controller is tired. How the HELL are you so certain
the damn runway will actually be there?"
Taylor stops singing just as the number 3 goes dry on fuel. He looks
over laughing at the Co-Pilot and says quietly with a smile,
"Because it HAS to be there, that's why!".
Then they break out and make the landing.
You have to love this story. Gann could really put a flying yarn
together sitting on that mountaintop home of his.
D

--
Dudley Henriques

Paul Riley wrote:
"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
news
Each pilot in other words, is being encouraged and REMINDED, to be in a
constant state of self evaluation as to the ability to perform at any
given time and place.
It ain't much......but it helps!

--
Dudley Henriques

Dudley,

You are exactly right.

I flew a zero-zero GCA, at night, in a UHIB, at the An Khe airfield in late
1965. No other place to go. We were on mortar patrol, had just been relieved
on station by our replacement aircraft. Ground fog had moved in, even the
replacement aircraft was not aware of it. No one expected it. I had an
instrument rating, my copilot did not. Our other option was to go crash in
the jungle someplace (with the bad guys, but where it was clear). Since we
did not have enough fuel to divert to a safe landing area--more than 45
minutes away (hey, this was Nam) we decided it was our only option.
Obviously, we made it, believe it or not, no damage to aircraft or crew. The
GCA Controller got three quarts of Johnny Walker Red the next morning. G

Let me guess ... this was what was left over from the 6 quarts the crew
started with that night! :-)

I'm glad you made it!

Matt

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
Paul Riley wrote:
"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
news
Each pilot in other words, is being encouraged and REMINDED, to be in a
constant state of self evaluation as to the ability to perform at any
given time and place.
It ain't much......but it helps!

--
Dudley Henriques

Dudley,

You are exactly right.

I flew a zero-zero GCA, at night, in a UHIB, at the An Khe airfield in
late 1965. No other place to go. We were on mortar patrol, had just been
relieved on station by our replacement aircraft. Ground fog had moved in,
even the replacement aircraft was not aware of it. No one expected it. I
had an instrument rating, my copilot did not. Our other option was to go
crash in the jungle someplace (with the bad guys, but where it was
clear). Since we did not have enough fuel to divert to a safe landing
area--more than 45 minutes away (hey, this was Nam) we decided it was our
only option. Obviously, we made it, believe it or not, no damage to
aircraft or crew. The GCA Controller got three quarts of Johnny Walker
Red the next morning. G

Let me guess ... this was what was left over from the 6 quarts the crew
started with that night! :-)

I'm glad you made it!

Matt

Nope, we had zero when we started. But when we finished, we did, err, uhhh,
imbibe somewhat--AFTER we changed our shorts. :-))))

Then, we went to our footlockers, got out what we had stashed, gave it to
the GCA guy. He earned it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paul