" Not a Pilot's Bootlace"

[Prince of Dzun]

This happened in eastern Australia only recently. The hero is a commercial pilot (hours unknown) who decided he would like to have a Tiger Moth endorsement. Arrangements were made with a local owner for a check out at the Tiger's home airfield. This airfield is a gravel-sealed strip with high trees at either end. It is not excessively long but is adequate for Tiger Moth operations. The learner is a big strong man who can just squeeze into the rear cockpit. On the very first take off with the instructor in the front cockpit our "pilot" opens the throttle and just after the tail comes up he immediately hauls the stick hard back and the Tiger staggers into the air. The instructor is taken by surprise and tries to force the nose down but he can't because the pupil is holding his control column hard back. No doubt his brain is saying "high trees ahead so pull stick back". When the instructor realises he will not get the nose down it is too late to abandon and the Tiger mushes into the trees and is destroyed. Both pilots escaped uninjured. . .Let's look a little more closely at this wanton act ( I don't call it an accident) because there is more to it than meets the eye. This guy obviously can't fly, he has no feel, no understanding and yet he holds a commercial pilots licence. He has the right to call himself a professional and the right to progress through the ranks and perhaps one day be in command of an airliner with five hundred people on board. How will be do this? He'll do it by hiding his true ability (or lack of it) under the automatics. The automatics will do the work for him and he will sit there and hope against hope they never fail. There can't be much pleasure in a career of constant worry but perhaps he won't worry because this guy has a big ego, he thought he knew more than his instructor and his actions caused the destruction of an aeroplane that had been around for more than sixty years. The description "not a pilot's bootlace" is being kind to him. Unfortunately (and this is the crux of this story) he is not alone.. .. .Prince of Dzun

[Herod]

Methinks you have an axe to grind, not personally involved by any chance?

[E. MORSE]

Nope.. .. .There is a lot of handflying involved, especially during initial training (as well as during recurrents and profchecks.). .. .There might be some guy's like this around but they will not be able to pass sim training. They will be fired before or after the examination flights.. .. .Thereafter (or whenever), they will stay in light aviation where something like this will be happening.. .. .There is no "hiding behind automatics", especially not for newcomers.. .. .Cheers.