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Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:07:44 -0400
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Subject: Some thoughts on accidents
Thread-Topic: Some thoughts on accidents
Thread-Index: AckFBxqI5rWk6lazRF+MBfi/2Y24YAA6106N
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From: "Halle, John" <JJHALLE@stoel.com>

It is really neat to see how many people are thinking about how to =
prevent accidents and sharing their thoughts -- which cover a pretty =
wide range of approaches so there should be something for everyone.  For =
me, there is still something missing and I have been trying to figure =
out what it is.  What I think is that, while training in flying skills =
will help, better knowledge and awareness will help, following all the =
rules most of the time will help, installing safety gizmos will help, =
what we need most is a better way to think about flying.
=20
There are several ways to avoid stalling -- better flying skills that =
come form training and experience is one; so is putting in an AOA or =
some other warning device.  Both take time, cost money and are limited =
by the pilot's inate ability, both mental and physical.  There is also a =
way that is easy and open to any pilot -- be aware of the risk and =
maintain whatever margins are required by all of the circumstances, =
including the kind of airplane being flown, the pilot flying it, the =
external conditions etc.  That approach requires no money, no experience =
and no particular skill except a kind of attitude that, at some level of =
consciousness, takes the process of flying seriously.
=20
The military was good at teaching this skill.  We were taught to be =
agressive and were naturally given to taking risks.  The military did =
not try to suppress these things but also expected that there would be =
some attention given to a more sober assessment.  We were taught, in =
some sense, to have a split personality -- on one hand, we were =
encouraged to test the limits of performance (our's and the airplane's.) =
 At the same time, we were also supposed to know where the line was and, =
at least in peacetime, to stay not only on the right side of it but also =
far enough on the right side to operate safely under whatever the =
conditions were.  The failure to develop this skill was viewed at least =
as seriously as a failure to learn a particular piloting skill.
=20
Lancairs provide the opportunity to do a lot of the things that we used =
to love so much about military flying and for that I am grateful more =
than I can describe.  I would not want to suppress the opportunity that =
these airplanes provide to us in any way.  I do think, however, that =
that little voice that monitors what we do all the time and pipes up at =
the right moment to say "Whoa -- this is getting gnarly.  Time to back =
off"  is as vital an element of flying Lancairs as it was of flying =
fighters.
=20
I think that what causes a lot of the Lancair accidents is that voice =
being turned off.  It is pilots who got so caught up in how absolutely =
neat it is to have the privilege to do the kinds of things that we can =
do with our airplanes that they didn't listen to anything else.  I don't =
know how to train people to listen to the voice but I hope you can all =
find it.