Nick Olson wrote:
At 23:24 09 February 2007, Dan G wrote:

You'd do damned well to listen to instructors - they
know better than you do.



Hmmn not always the case. 200 hour instructor with
Silver C who never ventures more than gliding distance
from an airfield knows more than pilot who flies several
thousand hours cross country and competition - think
not. I have flown with some instructors who quite
frankly scare the sh++ out of me.

Gentlemen it is quite easy -life is a game of risk
-sometimes the consequence of taking those risks is
death - in todays cuddly wuddly lets not do anything
in case we hurt ourselves society this seems to get
ignored.
Said photographer was taking a risk (as was the finishing
pilot who hit him) - he delibrately placed himself
under the flight path of competition gliders finishing,
to take photographs. He had full previous knowledge
of how competiton pilots fly a finish - to say he does
not bear any responsibility for the accident I frankly
feel is quite idiotic. I have seen many people take
this risk at competions - frankly it's behaviour I
wouldn't do -the risk is too great for me personally.

A combination of risks resulted in a death. Both
people were grown men who understood the risks they
were taking (or should have done). A death resulted
-boo hoo - let's grow up and move on, or shall we eliminate
all the risks of death by grounding the entire gliding
fleet worldwide.





Just having an instructor rating does NOT mean you are a good pilot and
does NOT mean you necessarily are a good instructor and does NOT mean
you have lots of experience.

With all things, be it mechanics who work on your car, with a doctor who
is going to do your surgery, whatever... there are those who are great
at it and those that suck at it. In the converse, there are pilots who
would be excellent instructors, but don't choose to instruct just as
there are scrub techs and nurses who would do a better job on your
appendix than the surgeon who went to med school.