history

Aviation Human Factors — 1932 paper

By Dave English

Clicking around research rabbit holes, reading papers cited by other papers, looking for something else entirely, I came across something in one of the world’s premier medical journals, The Lancet: Preventive Medicine In Its Relation To Aviation, by E. Goodwin Rawlinson (full PDF). From nineteen thirty-two. Yes, 1932. Lots of great quotes: “It must always be an axiom that the pilot (apart from the machine) is the paramount factor of flying.” For the design team, he observes: “The maker of the machines, in his engineering enthusiasm, unconsciously adds to the pilot’s troubles by altering or adding controls, changing what has … Continue reading Aviation Human Factors — 1932 paper

1955 safety film: What’s changed and what’s not

By Dave English

Youtube has a great AOPA safety film for GA pilots called The Flight Decision. It’s a little dated. Like sixty years dated. (Yep, 1955.) It’s fun to see what has changed—and what has not. Flight line fashion has changed. But the planes in this film (remember film?) are probably still flying. Some of the safety stuff is simplistic. But many of the human issues we are still trying to solve today. Take a look, and share what you think about sixty years of change.