1. How many of us perform a "confidence check" on the radar before we launch into known CB activity areas?
2. How many companies SOPs call for such a check?
3. The radar "test" facility does NOT necessarily prove it will transmit and therefore receive a useful return.
4. IMHO weather radar management and use is one of the worst taught skills in the industry, assuming the company has ANY disseminated info.
5. Most of the skills are picked up second hand from whichever Grumpy Old F**t is in the left seat who may have "his own way" of operating this valuable kit.
6. We will continue to see microburst/TS accidents and hail damaged aircraft lucky to land until the issue is addressed by those who decide the priority of TRAINING.
7. As long as there are crews who believe that switching the radar on in some aircraft "wears it out", when flying the NG for example {!} then that demonstrates the abysmal lack of knowledge on the subject.
8. A bright cavok day when there is low workload and time to develop one's skills is the occasion to learn more about the kit, it's limitations and it's benefits, maybe better use of one's paid time than reading the paper and preferable to trying desperately to learn when the screen is turning all four colours and the turbulence and precipitation are the first perceived alerts?!
9. Next time boredom approaches halfway through the flight, play with the kit using ground returns and get familiar with the controls. The relatively new "auto" tilt setting I believe will instill a false sense of security and lead some into trouble.
10. There are still capts around who believe the tilt setting is zero with the aircrafts pitch axis and not the real horizon-as long as these myths persist then we're in a state of ignorance and potential misinterpretation.
P S Anyone who believes it scares birds away, ask why the feathered fraternity were happy to frisk around in front of military PAR assemblies and still go on to breed happily, despite the much higher power and radhaz energy emitted by these installations?
