| Not every low hour pilot is unsafe, this is a common | | | | number of hours written in your log book. |
| myth. And not every high-time pilot is automatically a | | | | I've had a number of very good friends die in aircraft, |
| safer or better pilot. The other day I was discussing | | | | I've personally witnessed crashes which killed people |
| this with a low-hour pilot and he explained to me how | | | | many times, and I watched two people burn to death |
| he went out of his way to be safe, and that it was | | | | after a crash in a homebuilt T-18 Thorp. I've also had |
| more about attitude than hours. Indeed, I agreed and | | | | friends with horrible injuries who'd survived. I have |
| told him; right, absolutely. | | | | studied many accidents, and constantly read the "I |
| My dad has said to me many times "A great pilot | | | | Learned About Flying from That Column" by Collins. |
| never has to use his superior skills to get him out of a | | | | I've had several engines quit on my, dead stick'ed |
| terrible situation, he simply never puts himself in that | | | | several times while near the airport, all but one landing |
| situation in the first place," and I suppose this is the best | | | | on a taxi way or runway, only once in afield. |
| advice I've even heard. Now there are many private | | | | Much of an accident, or incident is about attitude, your |
| pilot accidents, and there are always lawsuits when | | | | attitude at the time will most likely determine the |
| they occur and they always make the news, unlike the | | | | outcome, barring some massive structural failure. Many |
| 20,000 to 40,000 fatal car deaths per year. My | | | | folks do stupid things, such as flying over mountain |
| acquaintance mentioned to me that it took 10,000 | | | | ranges at night in single engine aircraft at altitudes |
| hours to master something. | | | | impossible to make it to one side or the other, or trying |
| Indeed, and I agree with Maxwell Gladwell in his book | | | | to sneak in under clouds or drop in through clouds |
| Outliers that it takes 10,000 hours to master just about | | | | when they see a space, or they do not properly |
| anything. The trick is to not let an unearned "ego" to | | | | manage fuel. |
| trick you into believing that you have gotten there long | | | | Well, those are the common ones, but there are |
| before that muscle memory (Martial Arts theory) has | | | | enough Darwin Award Winners in NTSB reports to fill |
| taken place, where prudent flying skills and decision | | | | an encyclopedia, so don't let anyone in the club |
| making is a reflex. The pilot who knows he lacks | | | | become a statistic. Ah, what the heck, it's all just |
| experience is generally safe when he acts accordingly | | | | common sense and philosophy really. And I guess I am |
| and the Doctor who rips the wings and "V-tail" off his | | | | preaching to the choir, because if you are reading this |
| Beechcraft Bonanza because he gets vertigo in the | | | | article, you already care about aircraft and flying |
| clouds and then tries to pull out of a dive in that very | | | | safety. So, it's those other folks that we ought to be |
| clean configuration is a perfect example of what not | | | | talking to, although I've always found the best way to |
| to do. | | | | tell someone something, is to show them, and lead by |
| You know after watching the Augusta Masters Golf | | | | example and in that way, you may save someone's |
| Tournament, it reminds me a lot of flying skill in that | | | | life in the future, simply because your wisdom, |
| regard. I don't know perhaps you, the reader of this | | | | prudence, and adherence to safe flying rubbed off on |
| article agrees? You see there is always more to learn | | | | them. I hope you agree. |
| in flying, it doesn't just stop when you get a good | | | | |