Is this for real?
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Is this for real?
D&D Cell Report, 01/09/2006; Cessna 172,
Pilot lost, Pan declared, steers given for Cranfield. When asked if he could climb and maintain VMC, the pilot stated he did not know what VMC was. Later when asked to squawk 3305, the pilot replied he did not know what a transponder was!
Well I will answer my own question.........it is real
What on earth is someone with knowledge like this doing in charge of an aircraft, with possible pax on board.
Anyone else care to comment?
Pilot lost, Pan declared, steers given for Cranfield. When asked if he could climb and maintain VMC, the pilot stated he did not know what VMC was. Later when asked to squawk 3305, the pilot replied he did not know what a transponder was!
Well I will answer my own question.........it is real
What on earth is someone with knowledge like this doing in charge of an aircraft, with possible pax on board.
Anyone else care to comment?
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It was a very early start for me that day and my combined hangover and dyslexia made the letters VMC very difficult for me to understand clearly what was being asked.
I'm sorry if it has embarrassed us as a fraternity but I just can't help it sometimes ok?
The worst part was that I thought I had tuned into Cranwell. Imagine my shock when Cranfield started talking to me. I didn't have the heart to admit the error of my ways and just continued to avoid having to own up.
My wife was with me navigating at the time but she was of little use as she is afraid of heights and had her skirt jammed in the door which caused an alimighty distracting noise making matters even worse.
We all have days like this....don't we?
I'm sorry if it has embarrassed us as a fraternity but I just can't help it sometimes ok?
The worst part was that I thought I had tuned into Cranwell. Imagine my shock when Cranfield started talking to me. I didn't have the heart to admit the error of my ways and just continued to avoid having to own up.
My wife was with me navigating at the time but she was of little use as she is afraid of heights and had her skirt jammed in the door which caused an alimighty distracting noise making matters even worse.
We all have days like this....don't we?
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Did you not pass the Human Performance exam?
1) Early Start
2) Hangover
If you were tired as it was so early you should not have flown until you were sufficiently awake, and If you had a hangover you should have canned the flight for the day.
So really there is no excuse. Fair cop if your dyslexia played havok with VMC but what about not knowing what a transponder is?
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It was a very early start for me that day and my combined hangover and dyslexia made the letters VMC very difficult for me to understand clearly what was being asked.
I'm sorry if it has embarrassed us as a fraternity but I just can't help it sometimes ok?
The worst part was that I thought I had tuned into Cranwell. Imagine my shock when Cranfield started talking to me. I didn't have the heart to admit the error of my ways and just continued to avoid having to own up.
My wife was with me navigating at the time but she was of little use as she is afraid of heights and had her skirt jammed in the door which caused an alimighty distracting noise making matters even worse.
We all have days like this....don't we?
I'm sorry if it has embarrassed us as a fraternity but I just can't help it sometimes ok?
The worst part was that I thought I had tuned into Cranwell. Imagine my shock when Cranfield started talking to me. I didn't have the heart to admit the error of my ways and just continued to avoid having to own up.
My wife was with me navigating at the time but she was of little use as she is afraid of heights and had her skirt jammed in the door which caused an alimighty distracting noise making matters even worse.
We all have days like this....don't we?
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I did most of my training at a small military base near Guwahati in North East India. It was in a C150 that had no radio or transponder. When I returned to the UK I had my licence converted by a friend who owed me a favour after I helped his son's lame polo pony get better with hydyotherapy. My last two bi-annual checks were done by instructors in a "non-electrics" Jackaroo.
I'm hardly dangerous. I make sure I see and avoid and fly to the best of my ability at all times.
I'm hardly dangerous. I make sure I see and avoid and fly to the best of my ability at all times.
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What do you mean???
You fly when you are tired
You fly with a hangover
You don't know what a transponder is
You get your wife who does not like heights to navigate for you, then get surprised when an ATCU you don't expect talks to you.
I would hardly say thats safe.
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This IS real, lets do something about it.
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3 possibilities
This thread is a windup
The plane was flown (stolen?) by an untrained person
Somebody should have a word with his instructor (or whoever signed off his last check flight)
This thread is a windup
The plane was flown (stolen?) by an untrained person
Somebody should have a word with his instructor (or whoever signed off his last check flight)
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TV, my intention of this thread is not to ridicule this person or the subject, but to illustrate that people like this are flying around our skies and the likes of D&D have to rescue and bail out these guys when they get themselves in the Sh1t.
This IS real, lets do something about it.
This IS real, lets do something about it.
if it is, then his friend didn't do him a favour, he signed his and maybe some others death warrant !
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I for one am sure it is all too real. Earlier in the year I had reason to contact D&D - I'm not going to go into the details here but it involved being unsure of my position, serious radio problems and, eventually, a wonderful pilot in an Emirates Airbus somewhere over the continent relaying messages for D&D (they could hear me but I couldn't hear them) The Head of Training was chatting to me a day or two later and told me that it is not unkown for D&D to have to teach someone to fly straight and level before they can do anything else to help - something confirmed by them when I visited them later in the year to thank them. Having heard the exchanges between another 152 from outside the local area, and Shawbury recently (I won't embarrass the FI or the School involved here - you know who you are) I am not surprised. The student seemd to be completely oblivious to everything, it took him three tries to read back a simple QFE and four for the squawk - eventually read back by the FI. He was so unaware that on being told that there was one ahead in the circuit at EGBO (me) he replied that he was visual with HIM! Now, I had made several calls to Shawbury during the time he was on their frequency and the same at EGBO so if he was paying attention then he would definitely have heard me speaking. My point is that he wasn't on his own (and yes, he was a "he") he had someone qualified with him and it wasn't an emergency situation and yet he managed to make mistakes, so how much easier must it be for someone on his or her own? It is very difficult to judge who will cope and who will not and it isn't always the person you think it will be.
As an aside, I was very saddened to hear that the vast majority of people helped by D&D do not even bother to ring them and thank them for the help they were given so, if you are ever in the position of needing their services, once you are safely on the ground again, just pick up the phone and thank them, better still send a card or drop in with some biscuits.
It's a small price to pay for being dug out of a potentially nasty hole.
As an aside, I was very saddened to hear that the vast majority of people helped by D&D do not even bother to ring them and thank them for the help they were given so, if you are ever in the position of needing their services, once you are safely on the ground again, just pick up the phone and thank them, better still send a card or drop in with some biscuits.
It's a small price to pay for being dug out of a potentially nasty hole.
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Guys,
Just to clear up any misconception, it is no wind up, the details of this incident were taken from the latest GA Occurence listing issued by the CAA!
If you have a copy, you can read it for yourself, its on page 8, third from the top. I dont know whether all PPL's get a copy or whether its because I'm an instructor?
Cactus
Just to clear up any misconception, it is no wind up, the details of this incident were taken from the latest GA Occurence listing issued by the CAA!
If you have a copy, you can read it for yourself, its on page 8, third from the top. I dont know whether all PPL's get a copy or whether its because I'm an instructor?
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Could it be a solo student?
Many students are flying aircraft that are not transponder equipped, and as such are quick likely never to have encountered a transponder or know what a squawk is.
The term IMC may not be familiar to a student either. Had they been asked could the 'remain clear of cloud and in sight of the surface', or even 'can you maintain VFR', I'm sure they would be more familiar. I'm not sure the term IMC is used that often in the PPL (VFR) syllabus.
Do we know it was a qualified pilot? Do we know that they were passengers on board?
Even if it wasn't a student, an overloaded pilot in a state of panic can do strange things.
dp
Many students are flying aircraft that are not transponder equipped, and as such are quick likely never to have encountered a transponder or know what a squawk is.
The term IMC may not be familiar to a student either. Had they been asked could the 'remain clear of cloud and in sight of the surface', or even 'can you maintain VFR', I'm sure they would be more familiar. I'm not sure the term IMC is used that often in the PPL (VFR) syllabus.
Do we know it was a qualified pilot? Do we know that they were passengers on board?
Even if it wasn't a student, an overloaded pilot in a state of panic can do strange things.
dp
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It’s not a windup – have just checked my copy.
Seem to remember an old thread (either here or elsewhere) when a poor soul uncertain of his position contacted D&D and was stumped when asked was he Victor Mike Charlie. Being stressed and probably hyper-ventilating his brain was apparently unable to connect that with VMC.
Seem to remember an old thread (either here or elsewhere) when a poor soul uncertain of his position contacted D&D and was stumped when asked was he Victor Mike Charlie. Being stressed and probably hyper-ventilating his brain was apparently unable to connect that with VMC.
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All a fuss about nothing IMHO.
Yes the pilot concerned was a student & he did the right thing calling us.
Thought it was VERY obvious Monocock was pulling legs, suprised anyone took it at face value.
DD
Yes the pilot concerned was a student & he did the right thing calling us.
Thought it was VERY obvious Monocock was pulling legs, suprised anyone took it at face value.
DD
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After all he has some good posts.