Stupid pilot tricks

(featuring a cast of thousands)

What is the stupidest trick of them all?

• Hint: all in this room are performing this trick right now.

It can happen to me

• It might?

• It will

Two ways to stay safe

• Be really smart: Think of all the things that can go wrong, and figure out ways to prevent them

• Be rather stupid: Pay attention to the problems other pilots encounter, and learn what you can from them.

• Goal: Make it a bit less likely that you’ll fall into the known traps.

Ego

• Face it: This is a really bad pastime for anyone with a big ego.

• You will look foolish - regularly• People can be bluffed; weather, gliders,

air, gravity etc. remain quite unimpressed• Ego interferes with perceptions that help

you succeed• EM: “Soaring is about seeing things as

they are, not as we wish them to be.”

Case study: The R-101

Conclusion: Human nature is complex and not especially rational. It intersects with aviation and its hazards in many strange ways.

Mental rigidity

• The monkey trap

• The pilot trap

Case study: Final glide at2005 Senior Contest

Conclusion: Pilots can have trouble letting go of the rice. EYA!

“Can do”

• A positive, confident attitude is expected of pilots

• But it isn’t the best approach in every situation

Case study: aero retrieve atNew Castle

Conclusion: Your response should be appropriate to the actual problem at hand. EYA!

Other cases:

Problem early in tow

Tail dolly left on

Margin for error

• Form the habit of thinking about how close you are to a problem

• Experiment with “virtual” limits

Final glide to a point above the field

Landing at a chosen spot

Case study: Tree landing at2005 Senior Contest

Conclusion: When you plan a maneuver with a low margin for error, don’t expect to get away with even a small mistake.

Assembly problems

• If it can be done wrong, it’s only a matter of time until it is done wrong

• Your job is to postpone that problem

• Other pilots will show you where your time & attention should be spent

• PCC vs. CAC

Case study: ASW-20

Why does this problem keep happening?

Checklists

• Proven value

• “Proper & purposeful prior preparation persistently prevents poor (perhaps pitiful & painful) performance”

• Often ignored, skimped, skipped

• Standard vs. customized

Case study: gear-up landing

Conclusion: A “nearly correct” checklist “sort of” properly applied isn’t worth much.

If problems form a pattern, it’s time to pay attention.