Bandit12

In Neil William's book "Aerobatics", he talks about emptying his pockets before doing aerobatics, and if there was something that he absolutely had to take or couldn't leave behind he would wrap it in and tie a knot in a handkerchief. I guess his theory was that it would be less likely to slide out of a pocket that way. I'd take a fouled rudder over a fouled elevator or ailerons any day, at least there was a good outcome in the end!

Reads like someone didn't check/recheck/and check again that there was nothing loose in the cockpit or pockets that could come adrift and foul controls.

One of the other issues is the visual perspective at lower levels. A balanced tight descending turn at 3000' AGL is much more "normal" than the same turn at 300' AGL. A couple of years ago I was doing a little refresher aerobatics training and the instructor decided it was time to mix it up with a bit of lower level. I was feeling pretty competent with a personal minimum of 3500' AGL but at 1000' AGL the adrenaline really started to flow and everything screamed "TOO LOW!" inside for a moment while. I can imagine how easy it would be to be overwhelmed unless there was opportunity to practice at real heights, under more real conditions.

....hadn't passed his english competency assessment prior to arriving in Australia on a leaky flying boat, but was caught with 2 undeclared scripts by customs. The first was little more than a role play which was known to be enjoyed by Ratso, while the second was.....

Probably not without being unnecessarily prohibitive. To weed out those at risk on the basis of screening would also involve weeding out a lot more who aren't really at risk just to be effective. I suspect that freezing is more or less just cognitive overload - stress getting on the way of processing information effectively. Training techniques will reduce stress responses, just look at the heart rate of an aerobatic pilot in a spin vs someone who has never done it. You can also train people to cope with stress better.

HITC, I couldn't agree more with regards to the mostly pointless use of labels, and even more so to the changing of a name in the hopes that somehow something else will change. I was particularly highlighting the dramatic overuse of labelling, and it is part of a much bigger systemic failure to cope. There are lots of contributors, including health services and insurers that won't provide services without a diagnosis, that are also driving the label industry. I was teaching psychological assessment this year in the Masters program, and hopefully imparted my dislike of labelling to the next generation of psychs - except where the label is useful of course. As far as a hope to make a difference through research, that is of course always the goal. Don't forget though that hypothesis testing also includes the null hypothesis - that the fancy new theory we came up with will do nothing at all. I have no doubt that there is lots that could be done, but the impact on everyone might be perceived to be worse than what it cures. I signed up as a participant recently in a motorcycle study, looking at the use of automatic braking for collision avoidance. I'm curious but not so sure I'm keen on having braking control run by a computer, nor the increased cost of the system when a new bike is purchased. Similarly I reckon that we could design a psych assessment for turn backs, risk taking behaviour, or even instructors or pilots that are at risk of freezing (as nomadpete was describing) but then we run the risk of it being enforced as a barrier to stop these people from even getting to fly. Personally I am not against the impossible turn, or whatever the heck we want to call it. Obviously it has been demonstrated plenty of times, and failed in many more occasions. I figure it is better to train people to it - at least demonstrating the circumstances (height/wind conditions/particular aircraft) in which it really is impossible. Even doing it in a simulator would probably help to improve awareness of the complexities and risks involved. But it is perhaps something that needs to be retrained every BFR to really stay current. While we are at it, bring back spin training and unusual attitudes as well!

.....A robot?

I think it's Turbo......

Sitting at work in front of the computer, doubled over in silent laughter.....

....the role of El Presidente in the upcoming election (***at this Byron giggled, thinking to himself that it sounded like "erection"***). "I'll stand for the common man" exclaimed Madge, hitching his skirts up and stepping out of the wreckage of his........ Il'Bandito thinks he may know the answer to Aunt Rattie's question, but is unsure that it is appropriate for family viewing......

HITC - I love reading your flying stories, and have enjoyed immensely your technical discussions too. However I feel it would be too much to let these comments go unchallenged. Firstly, the science of assessment has advanced much quicker than the science of treatment in psychology, hence many psychologists are better at diagnosis than treatment. That is where the science is at the moment, but does not take away the fact that there is a considerable body of research to support the efficacy of the treatments that we have. There are always going to be those that hand out labels for large figures as you say, but that says more to their competence as an individual than to the profession. Note that most of us have seen or heard of poor flying instructors as well. Secondly, there is an epidemic of ADHD diagnoses, and in probably about 9 out of 10 times it is a misdiagnosis. But let's not forget where it starts usually. Teacher says to parent "Little Johnny seems to be having trouble paying attention, maybe you should get him assessed for ADHD". and then the parent heads off in a panic to the GP, sometimes then to a psychologist, other times to a psychiatrist or paediatrician. If they head to a psychiatrist, there is a fair chance that they will undertake minimal assessment and prescribe stimulants. If they head to a psychologist, there is a good chance that they will get one of your before mentioned hopeless ones unless they live in one of the capital cities, when they might get to see a proper specialist. If they can afford the 6 hours spent assessing a kid, they might find that they had a specific learning difficulty, or one of about 20 other conditions that explains inattentiveness. But they aren't going to get that sort of investigation from a GP, and likely not from most medical specialists who are even more expensive and don't have the time. Since 2005 there has been a 5 fold increase in the number of kids in Australia prescribed Ritalin, and psychologists aren't able to prescribe. So it is a bit rich to say that it is "thanks to the psychologists mainly". And this isn't even touching the problem of people in society now, both parents and kids, who are desperate to blame someone or something else, and will doctor shop until they find someone who will sign off on their belief. Thirdly, your story regarding your wife's difficulty with parking is clearly flavoured by your belief (not knowledge) of how psychologists work. Seriously, you think that psychologists are that crippled by the fear of a parking bungle trauma? Good heavens, let's hope that psychologists never have to see someone with a big problem like an eating disorder. We couldn't talk about that either for fear of the client beating themselves about the head with a banana from the stress! As I said, I love your flying stories and always enjoy the depth of knowledge and experience that you bring into a flying discussion, but you need to bring more than hearsay and personal bias if you want to rubbish a profession in which some people have committed just as much time and energy on perfecting as you did in your profession. For the naysayers who question the value of psychological research into aviation, I challenge you to answer this. What good (on a broad scale) is talking about it on a forum doing? And if the industry and pilots continue to do the same as they are currently, how do you expect anything to change? If the psychologists and researchers come out with nothing useful, the chances are that nothing will be any worse. Motzartmerv, I look forward to reading the research and am glad that you are involved to keep them grounded. Better that researchers work with industry than be left to run away by themselves......!!!

....your Gypsy Major fails, you know that you are in for a.....

.....that none of it was real anyway, that they had been plugged into the Matrix the whole time, and that they should have chosen the red pill. "But I don't like reality" exclaimed Madge, as he launched himself into the sky wearing little more than the aforementioned 277, and three white feathers attached with molasses, tar being too expensive these days. "Just wait till he comes down" said BobtheBuilder "and learns that he hasn't really been flying at all, and has actually been......

....who had been trying to lose some weight to climb out of ground effect in his......

This right here shows more insight into HF than I suspect is really understood by the people who write the courses. Nev might be able to comment on how much really has changed in our real understanding of human factors over the last couple of decades, but I suspect that apart from the lingo, it is pretty much unchanged. Ayavner, congrats on getting through. Sounds as though it was a marathon effort.

".....on the nose, which coincidentally was how Group Captain U. Jean coached his students in Bass Strait navigation. "Just keep that big flashing Eye in Melbourne on the nose on she'll be right" he said to Turbo, who was in for a bit of refresher training after it was revealed that he got lost on the way to.......

Or donate it to me - I'm sure I can find a dusty corner of the shed to keep it in!

Off topic, but that is what we love about the internet...!!! I have been sorely disappointed about the conduct of our beloved pollies in session for some time (regardless of which team they bat for). Seriously if you walked into a grade 3 class and saw a bunch of 8 year olds squabbling like that, you would think the teacher had lost control completely. It seems that intellectual "debate" and acting with some sense of honesty, dignity, and respect are now mutually exclusive!

"....Never in me life have I mated with a Fox Terrier!" Turbs gestured towards the airfield, where a sudden gust of wind (caused perhaps by Rat ingesting too many cabbage leaves) had caused the Lightwing to climb on top of the Foxcon beside it. "Not you, ya clown. Your wingthing is mating with a Terrier right now!" "Oh my" said Madge worriedly, "I don't think that is appropriate, why just think of what the offspring would look like!". Turbo already had an idea of what ugly offspring could look like, and launched into the story from his years of sowing seed as a young ag pilot/roustabout......

Hey Kaz It has been too many years since I read the book, and I don't have the original any more, but google seems to concur that it is Spitfire Parade. I have it as an ebook, but it isn't included there. As Marty says, it probably was lifted/tweaked from an earlier saying.

Facts are more useful than beliefs.

When you are flying, everything is all right or it is not all right. If it is all right there is no need to worry. If it is not all right one of two things will happen. Either you will crash or you will not crash. If you do not crash there is no need to worry. If you do crash one of two things is certain. Either you will be injured or you will not be injured. If you are not injured there is no need to worry. If you are injured one of two things is certain. Either you will recover or you will not recover. If you recover there is no need to worry. If you don't recover you can't worry. - Biggles' philosophy (W.E. Johns)

I've never imported an aircraft or parts thereof, but import regularly for our business. A good agent is worth their weight in gold. We tried sea shipping but only had a part container - won't make that mistake again. Also the fee upon fee upon fee upon fee at the docks really made it difficult, so airfreight is the go unless you are going a whole container like dutchroll described.

For that much when they say "trained for the flight" I would be hoping for a type endorsement! It would be an amazing experience.....

.....castigated by the supreme wit of Suz Ooooki. Which isn't as painful as it sounds, especially as he had already been.....