PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Radio Range Instrument Approaches in the 1930's.
Old 17th Jul 2009, 09:37
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A37575
 
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If you wish to fly the fixed-card NDB to blowing snow mins at the end of a 16 hour day I am sure you can do so! Unless it is the only approach available however, I prefer that you just do it in your own airplane please
I think you are being too sensitive and even unfair. I too, went through the military ropes with posting to Mustangs on graduation with 200 hours. Later I instructed on Lincolns where Sod's Law ensured sudden failure of the one and only artificial horizon would occur at night in IMC. Limited panel competency was essential. AT CFS one underwent instrument rating renewals in Dakota which included single engine, limited panel aural null instrument approaches. Useless stuff in retrospect but that was the requirement then..Fast forward 20 years or more and flying 737's. and the introduction to glass cockpit goodies and the irresistable lure of the beauty of automatics. Suddenly a new breed of pilots with 500 hours total time become trained on automatics and hand flying actively discouraged. The Use it or Lose it principle comes into play. Whereas the flight director was designed as an aid to flying it has now seen as absolutely essential. Faces go white if the FD is switched off in a VMC climb or descent and believe me I don't exaggerate. The fear of flying once a passenger problem becomes a real thing to some pilots when the automatics fail or switched off.

And now we read that Loss of Control has overtaken CFIT as the major cause of aircraft disasters. This has been coming for years. Like fire, automatics can be a good servant but a bad master.
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