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.
“If you want to fly as [traditional pilots] say they do, then go fly gliders, become test pilots, for all I care go to the moon. But flying for the airlines is not supposed to be an adventure. From takeoff to landing, the autopilots handle the controls. This is routine. In a Boeing as much as an Airbus. And they make better work of it than any pilot can. You’re not supposed to be the blue-eyed hero here. Your job is to make decisions, to stay awake, and to know which buttons to push and when. Your job is to … Continue reading Your job is
Finished reading an amazing book that was published last year— The Problem with Pilots: How Physicians, Engineers, and Airpower Enthusiasts Redefined Flight, by former USAF U2 instructor pilot and dean of their school of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Colonel Timothy P. Schultz, PhD. It covers the history of automation in aircraft, the replacement and extension of piloting skills into faster, higher, more precise aerial machines. It’s a must-read for people interested in aviation history, human factors engineering, or understanding the history of automated flying. Full of original research, fully referenced, deeply academic yet written in easy flowing English. And … Continue reading The problem with pilots
Living in the here and now can sound very hippy-dippy, but it’s also where all our power resides. And as pilots, we like power! “Remember then: there is only one time that is important— Now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power.” ~ Leo Tolstoy, What Men Live By. 1885.
Jon Snow: “I don’t know how to ride a dragon.” Queen Daenerys Targaryen: “Nobody does until they ride a dragon.” Game of Thrones, season 8, episode 1. Ground school, chair flying, simulators — all are good. But sometimes it feels like you don’t really know how to fly untill you’ve riden the dragon. 🐉
