Originally Posted by
Zeffy
https://www.wsj.com/articles/flight-...b1d10cb08f8eca
OPINION | LETTERS
Flight Systems Have Become Too Complicated
There are airline pilots that are not capable of recognizing and mitigating certain system failures.
May 15, 2019 401 p.m. ET
Regarding Holman W. Jenkins, Jr.’s column “GM and Boeing Show How Safety Miscues Happen” (Business World, May 11): Most media reports portray Boeing as incompetent and inappropriately close with the Federal Aviation Administration. As Mr. Jenkins notes, any attempt by Boeing to defend its design is met with derision and contempt. This exaggerated portrayal increases the risk that the public will never recognize the real problem: Many current airline pilots are simply not up to the standard necessary to operate current systems. With that in mind, the airline industry—not just Boeing—needs to lower expectations related to pilot competency in designing systems and dealing with failures.
Disagree strongly with this thesis.
The problem is going cheap and lazy on training, training, training. These are not complicated systems for the average airline pilot of average ability but with some experience and some keeness to comprehend and handle.
You just have to tell people how the airplane works and what the controls and indicators do. Boeing's stated assumption that the "runaway atabilizer drill" would cover the MCAS failure is completely off base and out of touch with pilots. Tell them how it all works and they will learn; don't assume knowledge that isn't covered in the manuals and NNC's.
We don't have to know enough to build it, we have to know enough to operate it, especially when it isn't working. Remember: one Lion Air guy did get it, got the crew to use the stab cut-out switches and he saved the airplane and all on board. Damned if he didn't tell the next crew though...It's a community of sharing, just like here.
In my view, after eight full aircraft courses in thirty-five years and hundreds of simulator sessions in Douglas, Boeing, Lockheed and Airbus types I know it takes some hard work, some memory work, some background, some experience and time in the books with regular recurrent work on one's own time thrown in. That's one's job as an airline pilot and that's one's profession - just like doctors, engineers, lawyers keep current, keep up and keep informed as best as one can.
Systems are too complicated? Nonsense. Sounds like the, "...too many notes" comment in a movie about Mozart.