One thing that drives me nuts is that TC tells you to never, ever
fly a broken airplane. Even the most trivial fault with an aircraft
is sure to result in severe regulatory consequences, up to and
including a lifetime of retribution for the most minor offences.
Ok, I get the regulator's stance on that. Without lube, I can
feel him bumping up against me from behind, for the rest of
my life.
But the most heroic thing a pilot can ever do, is to [i]fly a broken[/i]
[i]airplane[/i].
Endless examples come to mind ... Al Haynes and the triple
engine failure in Sioux City. The guy that had the double engine
failure on final at LHR (ice in the fuel system) and raised the
flaps contrary to SOP, saved lives and was fired for it. The guys
that took a shoulder SAM in their DHL A300 over Iraq and successfully
landed it without flight controls. Then ran into a minefield.
See, these are the [b]hero pilots[/b]. And the regulator, who suffers from
chronic cranial-rectal inversion, insists that [u]you learn absolutely
nothing about flying broken airplanes[/u], so that you are completely
unprepared when it happens to you, so that TC can guarantee the
worst outcome for the passenger and tin. Maximum death and
destruction, insisted upon by the regulator whom has [u]no interest
in safety whatsoever[/u] - merely retaining their bureaucratic power.
This is all so fucking bizarre to me, but then again, I'm just a
20th century pilot without a facebook account.
You're wondering what the fuck this latest rant from an old dinosaur
has to do with this thread.
Flying different types of aircraft prepares you for when things break.
You now have different flight control responses - I broke a spade on
a Stearman in flight, for example, and had a stick jam on me in a
Pitts, etc - and your knowledge of the aircraft systems can really
make the difference in terms of you understanding the failure and
dealing with it.
See, that's the knowledge that's guarded like the crown jewels in
aviation: when shit happens, you won't know for hours or weeks
or even years afterwards, what really happened. See the 737 rudder
thermal shock reversal. The LHR double engine failure.
Your fundamental stick & rudder ability, and your knowledge of the
aircraft systems, at some point in your career will make the difference
between you living and dying. At least, it has for me, many times.
If you don't mind dying and killing your pax, please feel free to
ignore the lessons of history, so that you can repeat them yourself.
[size=36pt][b]SAFETY COMES FROM KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL - NOT FUCKING PAPER[/b][/size]
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