I’m back from vacation. A highlight was getting to fly a 1930’s Tiger Moth out of an airfield in England. That’s me in the front seat. Absolutely wonderful experience. The instructor said the Tiger Moth was the perfect trainer for all WWII RAF and Empire pilots as it was “easy to fly, hard to fly well”. Well, I certainly proved that! And on reflection, his phrase is true for lots of piloting stuff.
I am currently enjoying a great book, The Tiger Moth Story, by Alan Bramson & Neville Birch (Airlife Publishing, 1982 revised and enlarged edition of the original 1964 classic). In it, there are a few pages from an article published in 1927 titled The ‘Moth’ Machine, by one Geoffrey de Havilland, who would later become legendary as an aviation pioneer and aerospace engineer. (Where it was published, alas, it does not say.) Let me post selected quotes: There are a few hints worth considering which bear on safety and comfort in flying. Cultivate the use of the air speed indicator … Continue reading 1927 notes on flying
So this happened today. My airline ID, FAA pilot certificate, FAA medical certificate, FCC licence, vaccination records for accident site access and more — hanging by a string. Without that secondary tie, I could have lost them all. Easy aviation lesson: Always have a backup. A secondary HF frequency, enough fuel for an alternative airport, a spare battery, another option. A second string on your ID. Take a look at everything you do, and eliminate the single points of system failure. Are you listening Boeing? . (Big thanks to my crashpad roommate for 16 years, Captain Earl the Pearl, for setting … Continue reading Always have a backup
“An engineer can explain how a system should work (in theory) but an operator has to know what the engineer knows and then has to know how the systems tie together to get the mission accomplished. If the systems break down the operator must make rapid decisions on fixing or working around the problem to keep the mission moving.” Gene Kranz — aerospace engineer, fighter pilot, NASA flight director — with timeless wisdom on the difference between engineers and operators, in his 2000 book Failure Is Not An Option. Original photo source NASA.
In a world of glass cockpits and flight control laws, a lot of the 1942 U.S. Instrument Flying Training manual no longer applies. But what does, is the real essence of instrument flying: Relax. Be smooth. Control pressures not movements. Understand attitude vs ‘history’ instruments.
