Originally Posted by
Pilot DAR
The "problem" I perceive is that for some pilots, they land, go home, and forget about aviation. Sure, family, life and work need attention, and will take that away from aviation as a recreational activity. But, modelling my accidental success early in my flying career, be at the the airport as much as you can. The "problem" is that people think that they can advance their pilot skills away from the airport. Yes, one can do valuable research at home, some in books, some on the computer, but..... I see so much nonsense available on my computer, which is actually an educational dis service, and I have to un teach when I train someone.
In the old days, as a young person, I would spend every hour I could hanging around the airport. I would scrub airplane bellies, and pump gas, just for the opportunity to be around airplanes. In hindsight, that was very well rewarded, in seeing first hand, how aviation happened, and meeting the people. I learned to fly there, in what were at the time brand new 152's and some older 150's. Indeed, I did my first solo in the first 152 imported to Canada. Back in the day, there'd be many pilots and people around to share experience with and chat. Now, I see people come, go flying, and go. I suppose that they go home to use social media on their computer. From a PPRuNe perspective, I can't complain about that, and PPRuNe is a cumulative awesome source of pilot wisdom and experience - but it is not hands on mentoring and sharing experience. It is not new person with filthy hands from cleaning an airplane, who just found a crack in a skin, and will now learn from having a small part in the process to resolve the defect.
Worse is that I am now flight testing other people's airplanes with really advanced avionics systems, and finding logic issues in the inter relationship between software design, and real world compatibility with a specific configuration of airplane. It would be unfair for me to opine on the skills of the person who developed the logic for the software, but I fear that in some cases, their pilot experience was minimal, and their flight test and human factors experience even less.
So, our "problem" is pilots using more tech to actually simply fly less. They may be PIC of an airplane, but are they flying it? Or monitoring it? In my opinion, making more software is less likely to improve that, as people actually piloting more, particularly airwork and refresher training. So, is the solution, an app on a pilot's phone which pops up before each flight to remind the pilot that it's been a while since they practiced XX maneuver, and today's flying should be devoted to that?
I understand, and I think you're right.
However I cannot propose that I can bring that environment back.
I can imagine how cool it must've been. I did offer my local flight school (who are awesome and with whom I have a great relationship) help over Summer, would've been a perfect excuse to spend more time with planes, and doing whatever they'd need on the ground. Unfortunately it is not as easy, nowadays. (Regulations, insurances, and whatnot).
But every chance I get to go with the CFIs into the hangars, to follow-up on the planes being repaired / overhauled, and to see them during the process, as well as to helping move them back into the hangar if I've flown their last flight of the day, priceless. Could see me doing this every day!
But back to the topic, I am not proposing to toss out a new Sky Demon / in-flight app, or much less to re-invent the wheel.
I love flying, and I fly. I love computers, and I work with them - and I am motivated to at least trying to find actual problems (and not just easy money) that I could try to solve. I also believe technology does not have to de-humanise processes, but should be a supporting instrument.
About your story with the first C152 imported into Canada - awesome! Late 70s I assume? Does the airframe still fly?
Almost as old as the oldest 172 that I fly!