How the Swiss Air Force learns
A great Swiss Air Force video shows us all how an enlightened high risk organization should use mistakes to get better, by moving away from a blame game and towards a learning culture.
If people get blamed for their mistakes, the only thing one achieves is that people will keep their knowledge about mistakes, safety gaps or dangerous situations for themselves.
Ask “why?” like a mantra to get deeper and deeper to the cause, to put yourself into the actor’s shoes and to understand, why the event had been happen.
Mistakes or incidents can be seen as free lessons. If we fail to learn from them, other colleagues will fall into the same traps because the holes/safety gaps are still there.
Good stuff. And it’s one of several Swiss Air Force safety videos on YouTube. Enjoy!
USAF training manual on flight discipline
The 260+ page US Air Force Manual 11-248 lays out the rules and procedures for flying their T-6 primary trainer. This extensive 2011 publication for students and instructors gives a great explanation of flight discipline on the second page:
Powerful stuff.
Adhere to the spirit and intent of governing guidelines while executing the mission in the presence of temptation to do otherwise.
Our new aviators at least have a good guidebook.
Gene Cernan on passion
This quote is from the wonderful new documentary The Last Man on the Moon, that’s in cinemas and iTunes/Amazon right now.
Cernan’s love of flying powered his amazing career as a Navy fighter pilot, aeronautical engineer, and astronaut. He flew in space three times, including the last Apollo mission where he walked (and drove) on the Moon.
The picture was taken by Harrison Schmitt following their third Lunar EVA. His suit is covered in moon dust. (Credit NASA, http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/apollo/apollo17/hires/as17-145-22224.jpg)
Top Gun, the real story
Yeah! This gets me excited for Top Gun II, Drone On.
