Dan Johnson
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2007
- Messages
- 156
- Reaction score
- 5
There was a lot of really good advice in the recent "want to by a Cub" thread, particularly in the area of safety.
I'd llike to address the safety end of things a little bit without thread drift, so I started a new one.
It's a common trait for us pilots to view flight safety through the lens of aircraft type.
"Watch the T-6, that spin mode will bite, particularly at low altitude."
"Be carefull with full flaps on the Beaver, make sure you're on final with the wings level before you select them."
"Stay away from full deflection slips in the 172 with flaps 40, you might blanket out the flow over the tail and lose elevator authority on final."
We also like to look at the probable cause of mishaps and when a trend is noted, we add that activity to our list of "Dont's".
(Don't engage in low-altitude buzzjobs, Don't fly when the weather is marginal if you're a VMC only pilot, Don't land in a steady state wind in excess of half the stall speed of the airplane, etc.)
While those are all well-expressed, valid concerns, they fail to address the far more likely cause of an accident - specifically:
The failure of the nut that holds the control wheel. (Or stick)
While it's true that each type of airplane, even the J-3, has some specific issues we need to be aware of, our focus should be - as several posters wisely suggested - on ourselves.
Airmanship is a topic we don't spend too much time discussing. Some of it is too touchy-feely. Part of our reluctance is that we all have a different definition of what good airmanship it is - it's never been codified by a regulating agency or aircraft manufacturer.
In the last twenety years, a lot of really amazing human factors research has taken place. We're starting to understand cognitive science and "screw ups" (error taxanomy) in a way we never have before. Several noted human factors researches have begun to address exactly what constitutes good airmanship - based on a historical review of great aviatorrs or succesful aviation events. (Dr. Tony Kern has been working in this area for twenty years.)
All of us, regardless of our aviation community, culture, background or experience can benefit from this research.
In other words, the same traits that made Neil Armstrong a great spacecraft commander, make Neil a top-notch sailplane pilot and can make you a safer, more effective and more satisfied weekend, VFR Cub pilot. (And you don't have to have hundreds of carrier landings, X-15 experience and a lunar landing to avail yourself to these traits.)
All you need is a desire to change, develop your skills, do a little hard work and spend some time looking honestly at yourself and where you're at as an aviator.
So, with any further adieu, let's start with the foundation of airmanship:
Discipline
Skill
and
Proficiency
Put another way, doing the right thing every single time and having "good hands". I'll come back to this in a day or two, in the meantime, post your thoughts on those three issues - we'll continue on through the rest of an airmanship "model".
Jump in and participate, even student pilots! We've all got something to learn!
PS - only one rule - leave the ego at home: Everybody brings something to the table.
Dan
I'd llike to address the safety end of things a little bit without thread drift, so I started a new one.
It's a common trait for us pilots to view flight safety through the lens of aircraft type.
"Watch the T-6, that spin mode will bite, particularly at low altitude."
"Be carefull with full flaps on the Beaver, make sure you're on final with the wings level before you select them."
"Stay away from full deflection slips in the 172 with flaps 40, you might blanket out the flow over the tail and lose elevator authority on final."
We also like to look at the probable cause of mishaps and when a trend is noted, we add that activity to our list of "Dont's".
(Don't engage in low-altitude buzzjobs, Don't fly when the weather is marginal if you're a VMC only pilot, Don't land in a steady state wind in excess of half the stall speed of the airplane, etc.)
While those are all well-expressed, valid concerns, they fail to address the far more likely cause of an accident - specifically:
The failure of the nut that holds the control wheel. (Or stick)
While it's true that each type of airplane, even the J-3, has some specific issues we need to be aware of, our focus should be - as several posters wisely suggested - on ourselves.
Airmanship is a topic we don't spend too much time discussing. Some of it is too touchy-feely. Part of our reluctance is that we all have a different definition of what good airmanship it is - it's never been codified by a regulating agency or aircraft manufacturer.
In the last twenety years, a lot of really amazing human factors research has taken place. We're starting to understand cognitive science and "screw ups" (error taxanomy) in a way we never have before. Several noted human factors researches have begun to address exactly what constitutes good airmanship - based on a historical review of great aviatorrs or succesful aviation events. (Dr. Tony Kern has been working in this area for twenty years.)
All of us, regardless of our aviation community, culture, background or experience can benefit from this research.
In other words, the same traits that made Neil Armstrong a great spacecraft commander, make Neil a top-notch sailplane pilot and can make you a safer, more effective and more satisfied weekend, VFR Cub pilot. (And you don't have to have hundreds of carrier landings, X-15 experience and a lunar landing to avail yourself to these traits.)
All you need is a desire to change, develop your skills, do a little hard work and spend some time looking honestly at yourself and where you're at as an aviator.
So, with any further adieu, let's start with the foundation of airmanship:
Discipline
Skill
and
Proficiency
Put another way, doing the right thing every single time and having "good hands". I'll come back to this in a day or two, in the meantime, post your thoughts on those three issues - we'll continue on through the rest of an airmanship "model".
Jump in and participate, even student pilots! We've all got something to learn!
PS - only one rule - leave the ego at home: Everybody brings something to the table.
Dan
