safety

The air is

By Dave English

“The air is an extremely dangerous, jealous and exacting mistress. Once under the spell most lovers are faithful to the end, which is not always old age. Even those masters and princes of aerial fighting, the survivors of fifty mortal duels in the high air who have come scatheless through the War and all its perils, have returned again and again to their love and perished too often in some ordinary commonplace flight undertaken for pure amusement.” Sir Winston Churchill, ‘In The Air’, Thoughts and Adventures, 1932. Churchill was an avid pilot in his younger days, but ended lessons in … Continue reading The air is

Life itself

By Dave English

“Accuracy means something to me. It’s vital to my sense of values. I’ve learned not to trust people who are inaccurate. Every aviator knows that if mechanics are inaccurate, aircraft crash. If pilots are inaccurate, they get lost — sometimes killed. In my profession life itself depends on accuracy.” Charles A. Lindbergh, in his 1953 Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography The Spirit of St. Louis.

Doing something uncomfortable

By Dave English

An aerobatic glider instructor I respect a lot counsels pilots wearing parachutes to do one tandem parachute ride. To eliminate a lot of unknowns. To be safer pilots. To experience the fall, the rush, the wind, the brain overload — so that if you ever need to bail out you will not freeze; rather you will orientate and have the headspace to pull the cord. All good sense. Only I didn’t get to be 52 years old by jumping out of airplanes. I’m scared of heights. Petrified really. I’m busy. Maybe next month. For sure next year. Maybe. Well, I finally got serious and … Continue reading Doing something uncomfortable

Training isn’t . . .

By Dave English

From this month’s edition of the Commemorative Air Force’s magazine, a really interesting thought in what is normally the last place to look, a safety article. Under the section about ways to improve safety, it says: “Training isn’t just to fulfil a requirement; it is to make sure each person is comfortable and confident in the task.” Not ±100 feet, or did it great once, or 80%. Not just checking the box. But comfortable and confident in the task. I like that.