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"Whats even more worrying is that some GA pilots Ive flown with think its quite acceptable to fly into cloud whilst VFR, below MSA and in hilly terrain."
Yep he's right - I do it all the time! (well apart from the into cloud part - I'm not brave enough (or have too much imagination!)). But the point of this facile comment is to say that I do it in areas where the mountains are pretty high and VFR flight would otherwise be pretty difficult.
Picking the right glen to enter is however very important and aids like GPS make these decisions much more reliable!
The reason many people are poor pilots is the whole environment of aviation is slightly alien - there are skills that need to be mastered and mistakes which in the majority of case will go underdetected until it gets nasty. One of the drunken phrases I have for friends who ask is that 'flying is terrific fun but pretty nasty when you get it wrong' - but that only really kicks in when you get it very wrong!
There is a natural tendency for specialist groups to have their own language, behaviours and other shared systems. Flying has this in abundance. How much of it is really needed? I'm not sure, but a large amount of it is steeped in historical aspects and not actually based on any rational assessment.
I have flown with people whose 'stick and rudder' skills were poor - I don't fly with them now. I've flown with people whose 'system' knowledge' (MET, NOTAMS etc) skill was poor - I don't fly with them now. But criticallty most of them do still fly. Not often, not well (IMHO), but they do fly, and the 'system' allows them to continue.
We can have all the learned discussions we like, right the world as much as we like - we would however probably be better employed in some constructive coaching.
How often have we actually intervened and made a positive contribution? I've done it a few times - and felt better about myself and the others as a result.
This forum has a variety of threads about people being plonkers. Not a single one of these supposed 'professional' pilots has mentioned coaching, commenting or helping. In another place this forum was referred to as people in glass house chucking stones - very very true.
The next time you see people asking or struggling with the silly coded information systems we have or real practical go, no go decisions - help them!!!!!
Don't start a discussion thread ' I can't believe what plonkers hold a PPL'. Help them, answer their questions and leave them better people..
The devices we use have a variety of strengths and weaknesses, I doubt there is a person alive who can access all the functions and capabilities of a GN430. Equally I'm sure there are subutlities of the 1:500000 that I am unaware of. All of them work and all of them don't work. Depends on who, where and when.
I've been flying for 16 years and I've not stopped learning, sometimes that really scares me - did I really know so little when I first ......
Obviously I did!
So don't start forum threads, inform, help, coach. Then we can all be as clever as youo evidently are!
Too much to ask?