I have been reading AAIB reports since I started learning to fly the first time with Raven Air 20 years ago, shame I had to give up then but such is life. I was told it is wise to learn from your mistakes but better to learn from the mistakes of others. I try to undertsand why people might have done what in hind sight looks stupid or why engineers seem to do or not do things that result in the loss of aircraft soon after maintenance. I ponder the outcomes and the implications of what happens when things go wrong. I hope I benefit from seeing the things people did right, made damned good wheels up landings, dead prop landing etc etc. Hope I learn to get things that right too.
As for flying skiils or aptitude for the job in hand, I got into a Cherokee Six a month ago, for the first time at the controls since '84 and was told I obviously hadn't forgotten much. I managed to fly it holding heading straight and level, climb and descend and in trim climbing and turning and coping with some turbulence had about 40 minutes of a refresher. Far cry from days at Manchester Airport slotted in between the big stuff though. I have spent the best part of the last six months trying to re learn things but until I get my medical my flying is going to be pretty limited. Its a steep learning curve but then everything I ever have done has been so thats nothing new.
Anyway seems a few people have faith in me not to make a complete
k up of it and when that faith amounts to over a £1/4m of investment in training and the equipment to train in, I have probably a better chance than some.
Maybe, as some have stated, its a shame that chance was given me instead of someone younger but it came to me so I'll do the best I can. It has already stimulated my eldest daughter to do better at maths and science because she wants to fly now. Just see what happens!