4468 View
4468 - fascinating response !
No astronaut me, and procedure had been practised many times not only in Hunter but twin engined heavier machine with another crewmember who did not have a pole and throttle to play with, just radar and the rest, but he did have his own means of exit/ escape which he could opt to use at any time if he did not care for what was going on.
Event I described had an experienced ex-mil co. What we executed safely was discussed and agreed beforehand, had been practised in the sim by both separately, and of course the co was entitled to take control of any situation where he considered it to be heading towards an unsuccessful outcome.
That's the scenario in more detail for you delectation; perhaps you could expand on your misgivings for me.
Your
"This job is a TWO pilot operation! Both need to know EXACTLY what's coming next. Keep it SOP. Keep it simple." first; would you really throw away the advantage of height and speed in hand in order to perform an SOP ILS approach, which not only would take longer with the good engine at a higher power setting potentially straining it so unnecessarily that it too might quit? Then what ? Is that really such a good idea? I definitely still think not.
If you really do consider that to be the better option then I am glad I flew when I did with airmanship considerations being part of everyday life rather than being constrained like you unfortunately appear to be to a blinkered, always SOP lifestyle. No need to engage brain there. Pity. God forbid !
Next your
"Frankly, the industry can't sustain the rates of losses the 'old and bold' generation accepted. We may have different problems now, but flying is infinitely safer, for a very good reason, and it's not purely because aircraft are more reliable!"
My day included the Comet crash window problems, and ADF, VOR, backbeam ILS and other interesting approaches which were often the order of the day, all hand flown without the luxury of GPS and automation to touchdown that your generation enjoys. So you can go look up on Google what some of those vintage system approaches involved, as you appear to be one of the newer generation who would probably have packed it in when faced with some of those situations. Not entirely a question of old and bold and aircraft reliability at all actually.
Finally your
"I may be the only professional pilot here thinking this, but personally, I'm very glad there are very few (if any?) pilots like you left in the airlines."
I think and hope that you are ! So be it, but you don't know what you missed.
Had you been lucky enough to have been blessed and rostered with me you would probably have learnt a lot to your benefit, being polite and respectful to your seniors and betters perhaps being one of them ! As it is I am very happy that I did not suffer that misfortune. Nothing personal of course !