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 … Continue reading How the Swiss Air Force learns

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.

Somber reading about F/A-18C accident

“An overreliance on technology can be a disadvantage.” Official report of a USN F/A-18C fatal accident that also talked about ‘situational awareness’. Good weather. Good plane. Good pilot. Always risky aircraft carrier operations. All this and more in a somber New York Times article