Page 31 - Demo

ably the IRS), has motion
sensing, chassis raising and
keyless, touch-screen every-
thing – oh, and 4WD. With
no self-aware HAL (2001:
A Space Odyssey) to say,
“I’m sorry Kevin, I’m afraid
I can’t do that,” I’m often one touch-screen entry away from
being lost, in the ditch or worse, locked onto a rap station on the satellite radio. At least in the 737, my FO can caution me against touchscreen errors. In the GA world, we don’t have HAL or an FO to monitor and assist with our learning curve. And if the situation becomes unforgiving, this can become an issue. There is simply no way to fly a single engine Cat III on the HUD if you’re locked onto a rap station.
Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time.
-Theodore Roosevelt
Part 121 accidents occur at a rate of about four per one million flights. Part 135 accidents occur at a rate of about six per one million flights. And GA ac- cidents see a slightly higher rate with around 19 accidents per million flights. Fatality rates are about six per million for both Part 121 and GA, and about one per million flights for Part 135. In 2017, of the 220,000 aircraft that are classified as GA, 347 people died in 209 accidents. We have all championed these statis- tics as compared to driving because the numbers are impressive and dramatic. Unfortunately, few things are as dramat- ic as an airplane crash and these hard earned and impressive crash statistics usually fall to an unreceptive audience.
Especially in the Part 121 world where passengers fixate not only on the rare accidents, but critical social maneu- vers such as control of the center-seat armrest. Most non-pilots, nonetheless, remain in awe of aviation and the feat of piloting. But just as there is a first time for every surgical procedure, marble sculpture, vertical TIG weld, there is a first time for unsupervised flight in a complex airplane. As pilots, we must use every resource available both while learning and once proficient: checklists, FO’s, ATC, risk assessment and self-as- sessment tools as well as thorough plan- ning to ensure we are free of careless- ness or neglect.
No matter the qualification, there is much available for us pilots to learn and remember along our path. There is always another airplane, a different avi- onics suite, and new policies and proce- dures to master. Aviation in itself may
The most important talent we as pilots develop may in fact be having a tolerance for continuous and deliberate practice.
not be inher- ently danger- ous. But similar
to a surgeon who has accomplished thousands of her- nia repairs, as they attempt their first gall bladder removal, awe- some may not be the word to describe our first step onto the learning curve. When we read about challenging events encountered by other pilots, or about managing risk, when we face personal medical issues or learn new procedures, we begin the learning process anew – and we re-confirm that ours is indeed a
license to learn.
Personally, I’m comfortably progress- ing in the 737-800 and with the new avionics in the Duke. For now, all that remains is to get up to speed in the Jeep. And this may take a while longer be- cause according to Siri, my Jeep thinks I have still have that “new-owner” smell.
Author’s Note:
This month, we say goodbye to our edi- tor, Dianne White who published my first
article in T & T titled “Issues” in which I tell the story of an engine failure at gear retraction in the MD-80. Throwing tur- bine blades through the cowling (sound familiar?), we ignited a grass fire at MIA but had no injuries. One hundred twenty articles later, I can’t thank her enough for wading through 190,000 of my written words strewn with ceaseless contractions, parenthetical statements and occasionally, Shakespearean English. And we welcome to the magazine’s left•seat Rebecca Groom Jacobs, whose articles have appeared in T & T for over a year. May you find the edi- tor’s path to be not inherently dangerous but rewarding, only occasionally embarrassing and never unforgiving. T&T
Kevin Dingman has been flying for more than 40 years. He’s an ATP typed in the B737 and DC9 with 23,000 hours in his logbook. A retired Air Force ma- jor, he flew the F-16 and later performed as an USAF Civil Air Patrol Liaison Officer. He flies volunteer missions for the Christian organization Wings of Mercy, is employed by a major airline, and owns and operates a Beechcraft Duke. Contact Kevin at dinger10d@ gmail.com.
Rocky Mountain Propellers
National Flight Simulator
June 2018 TWIN & TURBINE • 29