In Response to David Miller’s “Maintenance Issues” (March)
I’m an instrument-rated, 500-hour SR22T pilot who just recently had yet another problem immediately following routine aircraft maintenance. This was my third episode of having a significant mechanic-induced problem that was potentially very dangerous. In each case the aviation shops had a good reputation. My purpose in writing was to ask if you think that three episodes for a 500-hour pilot seems like a lot.
The lack of rigor in the maintenance hangars is particularly alarming to me…and to my wife when I’ve had the nerve to tell her about the problems! I’m a surgeon by training, and I’m guessing that given the consequences of a mistake in aviation maintenance, the requirements for performing proper maintenance would include “sterile” workplaces, where no parts from other jobs could be co-mingled with the parts from your own plane, etc. Towel counts at the end of a procedure are routine in the OR. How come I ended up with an oily rag being left near the turbochargers after a 50 hour oil change?! I’ve given serious thought to the discontinuation of my late in life aviation career. It seems I can rationalize dying in an aviation accident if it was of my own doing. But to die because of someone else’s malfeasance seems such a waste.
Glenn Cook
In Response to Kevin Ware’s “Magic” (April)
I own a Citation 500 that I’ve been flying single pilot for over 15 years. I enjoy reading your column, although I’ve never reached out to you before…I spent 36 years in the Air Force as a fighter pilot, flying F-4C, D, and E variants, as well as the F-16. Many times I flew fighters in a gaggle with a tanker or two across the pond to Europe and the Middle East (never a Citation, though!).
I vividly remember the first time and subsequent times where I looked down on the ocean and saw the ice cubes you described, only to realize they were actually huge icebergs. That really got my attention in your article. I also saw white caps from flight levels, and it dawned on me how large they must be. Coupled with the clearly frigid temperatures, I shuddered to think of whether an ejection in those areas was really survivable at all. I thought what a pity to survive combat but be severely injured or die jumping out into the North Atlantic. Of course, most of our losses over my career were in training or transit and not related to conflicts. I also enjoyed reading your description of climbing through an overcast and popping out into the warmth and beauty of the sun. Sometimes we would do the same in a block of airspace within the MOA, and we’d try to get just into the cloud cover and zip along with only our canopy and upper bodies (in the F-16) out in the sun. Magical experiences for sure that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Worthe Holt