007H
The problem with avoidance is that you have to identify what is happening to avoid it.
It is easy in an armchair position to say this should happen or that should happen very different on a dark night in poor visibility when a pilot is trying to locate a runway and his full concentration is outside the aircraft peering through the mist and rain while scared because the visual references are not adding up.
It is so easy to get slow, see something and over bank! Suddenly the pilot wakes up with a stall and huge wing drop. What good is avoidance then?
Or the pilot in IMC high level again distracted and scared because he has wondered into a storm cell? Suddenly he looses control enters a spin which he has no idea if he is in a spin or a spiral dive. Uses incorrect recovery methods probably for the wrong situation and breaks the plane.
YES YES YES avoidance is priority number UNO but its not enough. There are far too many silly avoidable accidents now which indicate aircraft drivers relying on fancy systems rather than Pilots with skills.
You only have to look through the Cirrus chute pull statistics and you think to yourself WHY WHY WHY? needless, stupid incidences which caused the knee jerk chute pull reaction.
Yes as in many walks of life people have to be protected from themselves and thank God for the chute as many have said its better they live than die but some come across as mountain walkers setting off in winter wearing a T shirt and shorts and wandering why they get into a mess.
The systems and BRS should compliment solid handling skills and experience not make up for a lack of those skills and experience.
I am sure the majority of pilots are serious people who put a lot into honing those skills and many do through organisations like COPA but then there is that minority who frankly I would not send my worst enemy up with never mind a loved one.
Pace
Last edited by Pace; 24th May 2014 at 09:48.