"Big doors swing on little hinges."
~W. Clement Stone
Spent the weekend at PDK in a flight instructor's refresher course. It was somewhat challenging, also interesting. I realized that a lot of my "stuff" has deteriorated. I was un-able to plugin to a flight instructing job right away, and now ... I'm simply on a different track then the one I "expected" to find myself on. Meaning ... I see my role in the larger picture of flight instruction very differently then role I anticipated playing. I don't want to participate in anything less then the high quality instruction which I benefited from, and now I see that those slots are few and far between, and ... perhaps it is right that they are awarded to people at the beginning of an airline type career path ... hard to swallow. Maybe my spot is helping tweak poor technique in the community which would help make people safer and more confident in their abilities. It hasn't been possible for me to maintain the level I was at as an instructor. I survey what I am able to bring to the table now. It is a bit ... ummm, sad, I guess is the word. Fortunately, I have found ways to diversify how I spend my time ... and how to spend my time is something I am still trying to figure out. I think time spending is an important decision.
At the FIRC session, the guys were talking about the unreliability of weather information in general. I daydreamed a bit, remembering how my semester after semester my room full of ground students checked out/ nodded off on learning about weather ... and the REGs. I thought it was so bizarre that they were interested in aircraft performance, but not so much about the whens and wheres that affect performance. Someone else tends to that at the airlines they would tell me ... little slackers ... it takes time to bring them up to speed. And disinterest in the REGs was just ... ummm, young ... well, they will learn ... we're all young for a while. I did love helping them along ... watching them develop in to commercial grade pilots ... they grew up quite a bit right before my eyes.
We, FIRC-buds, were looking at the accident statistics collected around the TAA (Technically Advanced Aircraft ... at least a moving map display, IFR-approved GPS navigator, and an auto pilot ... but generally, full glass. a glass cockpit includes a primary flight display PFD in place of the traditional six pack, and a multifunction display MFD which can show a moving map, terrain features, weather, checklists, etc.) More and more primary training is accomplished on these platforms. It's on the CFIs to help make sure all that cool stuff actually translates to safer flight. Notes in the book we used for the course say: Continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, while accounting for two-thirds (67.7 %) of fatal GA fleet weather accidents, only account for a little over one-third (37.5%) of fatal TAA weather accidents. The book says that while the NTSB does not provide clear insights, there are several factors which could contribute to the high number of TAA weather accidents. One is that TAAs have a higher percentage of use in a transportation role, increasing their exposure to adverse weather compared to those (Pre-TAA) whose primary use is for training. I suspect the ratio of steam/glass is significantly lower then 3:1. A study offering info concerning the pilot demographic would sure help with processing this info ... I'd like to see the human element ... kinda doubt these are high hour pilots ... maybe this is the new V-tail. The book goes on to say that unlike NEXRAD weather radar displays, weather forecasts provided by the data link are typically presented on the MFD in text formats ... lack of an ease-to-interpret graphic presentation of non -radar weather data may negatively impact the pilot's ability to get a clear mental picture of overall weather conditions. The book points out that it is the pilot's responsibility to enable data link weather displays, and once it's available, to know how to interpret and integrate it with other information. Here's a findings quote ... A number of TAA accident pilots may have believed that access to near real-time weather improved their chances of dealing with adverse weather.
This is sorta interesting ... Instructional flights accounted for 15.1% of total GA accidents. Instructional flights accounted for 23.9 percent of total glass cockpit accidents. Instructors are encouraged to do more of the training on the ground ... wait until the pilot has a solid grasp of the TAA. No findings were presented to suggest that a better understanding/integration of weather information might be helpful.
I'm thinking about how I personally respond to "weather" ... uhhh, life weather. I'm not even talking about actual aviation weather now ... just the potential lessons I may infer. Weather eventually wears me out. It fatigues me to the point where I may not interpret "things" as they really are. And ... even if I do "see how it is", I may not know how to best deal with it. Who is tired me? How does she respond when backed into a corner? Sometimes the weather of life boxes you in. ... and ... the time for figuring out "stuff" isn't when you're right in the thick of it.
Let's see ... how does this seem to go? Information is presented ... then the test.
In general, the guys in the FIRC were grouching about the variability of weather ... and no wonder people are not good at dealing with weather bc the forecasts suck ... iow, not my fault. I just half listened ... I actually think weather information is amazingly accurate ... it's come such a long ways as a science ... and, when in doubt, assume it's going to suck ... that's my perspective on weather. If things go better then anticipated then ... great ... but when they don't, understanding the ends and outs has to be info that I've already worked out to the best of my ability.
I'm trying to remember that expression about a swamp full of alligators, but all I can sorta remember is about pissing on the highest flame. I'm not very good at homilies.
Per the REGs, NTSB 830.2 (partial ... incomplete) Aircraft accident means an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, and in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage. For purposes of this part, the definition of “aircraft accident” includes “unmanned aircraft accident,” as defined herein.
Fatal injury means any injury which results in death within 30 days of the accident.Incident means an occurrence other than an accident, associated with the operation of an aircraft, which affects or could affect the safety of operations.Serious injury means any injury which: (1) Requires hospitalization for more than 48 hours, commencing within 7 days from the date of the injury was received; (2) results in a fracture of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or nose); (3) causes severe hemorrhages, nerve, muscle, or tendon damage; (4) involves any internal organ; or (5) involves second- or third-degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5 percent of the body surface. so ... an accident is not simply an uh oh. More?Weather, while not entirely avoidable or predictable, seems to be a big contributor to ... accidents.different topic ...
thinking about my next upholstered piece ... will be in the room with those two goose neck arm chairs in the black and tan fabric (above). I think I'm going to use Calico Corners' Slubby Basket "spray" (pictured) on the inside of the chair with "black" on the outside of the chair. Photo One above shows the trim elements in black. I think I'm going to take the tufting out of the back of my chair (definitely will if I go with this bulkier fabric texture) and not use contrasting trim. I like the asymmetric stripe or color blocking on chair two above, and I'm thinking of incorporating the idea on a different piece. The clean lines of chair two appeal to me and I think demonstrate an element that I would like to see in the first chairs design ... trim restraint.
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