Beechnut;
Good handle...like it.
Anyway back to our regularly scheduled speculating.
LOL...!
One post in the thousands can be worth much.
Like other airmen and aviation professionals here, my entire focus is learning, which, at once acknowledges another professional, while trying for the highest possible standards in actions. There is nothing unique about this: it is what aviation people do every day. Millions upon millions of unremarkable, safe departures every year speaks to this quiet commitment.
This fact is what naive, single-issue entries here like FSLF's fail utterly to respect and appreciate. This industry is indeed focussed on safety but must do it in a way that permits business to continue under the present de-regulated, political and economic environment. 'nuff said.
You have a terrific attitude and approach to aviation. Aviation rewards "recursive" behaviours..."did I do what I just did, correctly and was the action right?", repeated over and over again after each single action - done with a deliberate, paced approach. Never touch or action anything that is irreversible, without confirming with the other crew member - if alone, STOP - look again, then act. Revisit actions isn't doubting oneself - it is building a havit that will serve you well when you're absolutely beat or in a hurry and still have another trip. Be decisive and don't be talked out of something without good reasons - that's partly what CRM is about - the other part is being open until all crew members have know of, and have decided on a course of action when dealing with "the unusual". Be prepared, on strong evidence gained through experience and listening to others, to change decisions but don't change without knowing why and actually saying why (out loud, if alone) to yourself. The moment you are comfortable, look around...there is always something waiting. Trust your senses and belly but never, ever vary or abandon good standard operating procedures for something "ad-hoc" because of "special circumstances". When something goes wrong, immediately slow your thinking, your actions and your perceptions down as much as possible, especially in single-pilot work. Always have the courage of your sense of safety and do not be afraid to speak up when that sense tells you to. It may cost you a job or two but such an operator is not worth working for. I really meant it and wasn't being coy or flippant when I said "airline pilots earn a hundred-thousand dollars a minute but you'll never know which one"...while the salary's different to start,
(most passengers would be astonished and dismayed at what the two guys up front are now paid...try "less than starting nurses and teachers" for an Embraer 190 job at a major carrier and not even a connector...), the words are the truth. I have had exactly four of those moments in 35 years and have had to make about 3, maybe four fundamentally-critical decisions each of those years - the rest is routine work, again, and I KNOW this is really nothing unusual or special...it's what everyone does who flies profesionally. It is certainly no more "dramatic" or other such fluffy crap that fills magazines and forums, than any other profession with similar responsibilities and requirements. The difference in aviation is, there is no place to park, light up a pipe and think, and, too many times, unlike other professions that succumb to human error, ours can cost us and our many charges, dearly. It is a fabulous, wonderful profession - the career is a roller-coaster ride today, but you know, it always has been. Today is no different than when I joined in '73. Always check six....
PJ2