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pressure except for that imposed by my piloty-arrogance in attempting to get into the top ten percentile.
If It Ain’t Broke...
Without a ballistic recovery system or an ejection seat, we must control the aircraft until it stops moving. The de- cisions we make determine where that point is, in which our flight path intersects the tangent of the horizon. We prefer that area to be a nice, long, paved runway. The need for us to react instantly in order to achieve this geometric solution is normally relegated to takeoff, landing and per- haps avoiding a mid-air collision. Other than these ex- amples, the need for a nanosecond analysis, decision and immediate reaction is uncommon. There is normally time to think. As in business and politics, however, sometimes our deliberation and analysis result in a congress-like deci- sion: take no action at all....for the moment.
Some of our actions can be irrevocable, and a hurried decision, even when using well-developed intuition, can be incomplete, inadequate, and occasionally disastrous. We have learned to slow down, analyze by cross-checking multiple sources, gather data, evaluate the options and then react appropriately and deliberately. Only at the end of the process do we execute any physical portion of the reaction, which is the moving of a control – or five. An un- necessarily quick reaction could generate an unpleasant surprise and additional difficulties. The first few seconds, or even a full minute, when reacting to an event are there- fore used for recognition, analysis, decision-making and then action, if any.
Man, know thyself.
– Socrates
A New Year, A New Perspective
Flying single-pilot in the weather can elevate heart rates faster than a letter from the IRS or an engine failure at V1. Unlike a warm sunny day or in our younger days when we could analyze and react more quickly, inflight events can become distressing. It may take more time and effort in the planning and execution of the flight to ensure a safe, smooth and stress-free operation. We are getting older and probably slower in thought and movement, maybe complacent and sometimes forgetful. Father time is unstoppable. For all of us, it can move along more quickly than a fast-moving cold front – and faster than we recognize.
It’s common for the perpetually-young person in our minds to overestimate our ability or to modify reality through hopeful optimism. We push ourselves, often with- out realizing it as if we were young and swift. We assume that we will think and react quickly when needed. The time to discover that we are not the teenager we once were is not during an inflight event. How do we recognize if we are experiencing diminishing abilities as time overtakes skill, cunning and luck – I mean, experience? There are clues and you may have seen them.
January 2023 / TWIN & TURBINE • 25