Experience
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Experience
I was thinking about experience today. My wife asked my 12 year old daughter to carry wine glasses to the dinner table, while her 25 year old sister had already taken a few. My wife asked my 12 year old to carry them one at a time. 12 year old pointed out that her older sister was carrying two at a time. "Your sister is more experienced" my wife replied. Whereupon my 12 year old picked up two, and carried them both by their stems, freely waving them around as she waked. I pointed out to her my dis satisfaction with her action (knowing that these are exotic glasses I'm afraid to pick up at all!). I trust that my 25 year old can handle two glasses perfectly well, and text while she walks across the room with them. My 12 year old demonstrated to me that she's not there yet. After not following instruction, she loosely waved the glasses around by their stems. She showed that she does not have the experience to be trusted with the task - she won't even follow the instruction!
So what's this got to do with piloting? I think about discussions of experience here. We all want to be more experienced, and in aviation, no one has ever reached the top of the experience hierarchy. The experience we all seek is generally available from those who have gone before in that realm, and learned the lessons. And, frequently, it is those people who control the use of the aircraft too. These wise oldtimers know that we seek the experience on their aircraft, and they might help us achieve it - if we demonstrate that we respect their preferences about how they are operated.
I think about reading John Farley's writings about training new pilots to fly the single place Harrier - from standing on the ground, away from the jet blast. "Do this, then return for a debrief, before undertaking the next phase". Most pilots did, and few others how were not so conforming.... with someone else's expensive fighter jet.
So like my wife wanting my 12 year old to pay two hand attention to a single wine glass, the owner of the aircraft would like to see the inexperienced pilot ease into piloting the "next" type in their learning. The following the "rules", and respecting the preferences of the oldtimer is a part of that for its own sake - whether the new pilot likes (agrees with) it or not. The experience of the new pilot will be evident to the oldtimer, as they see new pilot simply take it easy and respect the rules - whatever they are.
When the new pilot is seen to be a rule follower, and cares about how they do things, their experience will be evident. It's the trait of a pilot with a professional attitude. A person who seeks out and personally adopts best practice. It is more about the quality of the "piloting" rather than the quantity, in many cases.
I read here about new pilots who insist on having an Ipad for use as a primary reference in the circuit, and other similar non conforming conduct. This could be normal if an experienced pilot did it, but should be left to the pros. I think to myself, "Yup, that new pilot may get there one day, but their inexperience is still showing, and slowing their acceptance by the very people upon whom they depend for their advancement.
So what's this got to do with piloting? I think about discussions of experience here. We all want to be more experienced, and in aviation, no one has ever reached the top of the experience hierarchy. The experience we all seek is generally available from those who have gone before in that realm, and learned the lessons. And, frequently, it is those people who control the use of the aircraft too. These wise oldtimers know that we seek the experience on their aircraft, and they might help us achieve it - if we demonstrate that we respect their preferences about how they are operated.
I think about reading John Farley's writings about training new pilots to fly the single place Harrier - from standing on the ground, away from the jet blast. "Do this, then return for a debrief, before undertaking the next phase". Most pilots did, and few others how were not so conforming.... with someone else's expensive fighter jet.
So like my wife wanting my 12 year old to pay two hand attention to a single wine glass, the owner of the aircraft would like to see the inexperienced pilot ease into piloting the "next" type in their learning. The following the "rules", and respecting the preferences of the oldtimer is a part of that for its own sake - whether the new pilot likes (agrees with) it or not. The experience of the new pilot will be evident to the oldtimer, as they see new pilot simply take it easy and respect the rules - whatever they are.
When the new pilot is seen to be a rule follower, and cares about how they do things, their experience will be evident. It's the trait of a pilot with a professional attitude. A person who seeks out and personally adopts best practice. It is more about the quality of the "piloting" rather than the quantity, in many cases.
I read here about new pilots who insist on having an Ipad for use as a primary reference in the circuit, and other similar non conforming conduct. This could be normal if an experienced pilot did it, but should be left to the pros. I think to myself, "Yup, that new pilot may get there one day, but their inexperience is still showing, and slowing their acceptance by the very people upon whom they depend for their advancement.
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She showed that she does not have the experience to be trusted with the task - she won't even follow the instruction!
So we decided that although they could manage the physical business of riding the bike they weren't capable of doing so safely, even when riding along with us, so the bike got taken away for a couple of years. With "because you refused to obey safety instructions" given as the answer to "why can't I ride my bike" for those couple of years.
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"My wife asked my 12 year old daughter…."
My, oh my… she carried the glasses for you without a lot of lip, and you're complaining?
This is not about experience; it's about adolescence, about which you will be discovering a great deal over the next few years if she's the first of yours to hit 12!
I'm curious, what wine were you drinking?
My, oh my… she carried the glasses for you without a lot of lip, and you're complaining?
This is not about experience; it's about adolescence, about which you will be discovering a great deal over the next few years if she's the first of yours to hit 12!
I'm curious, what wine were you drinking?
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I remember reading an article half a century ago about who are the real heroes in aviation. It's the folk who refuse to accept the 'norm' and conform but push against the tried and trusted and the generally accepted. They often fail but those who succeed lead the way for the rest of us to improve. Of course we want to protect our precious investments to which we have a sentimental attachment but maybe we quietly admire the strength of character that is prepared to go against parental wishes and desires and go ahead and carry 2 wine glasses. I'm only surprised she didn't try and carry 3, just to show you!
There's a lot said about the way in which we teach navigation. Here in the Old Country, we teach how to pre-determine drift and groundspeed to come up with an estimated heading and ETA. We then modify this in the light of what we actually encounter in the air. We are made to use a circular sliderule with a wind triangle device on the other side, no electronics allowed. I once met an instructor who thought this was all rubbish and that we should be teaching people how to feature-crawl and feel the drift from moment to moment. I listened to him for a while and he seemed to be sincere in what he was saying, maybe he was right but I haven't had the courage to break away from our tried and trusted method. I must say that the only times I use a circular slide rule now is when I'm teaching other people how to use it. It's a tablet for me, even IMC on a long multi-waypoint trip around complex airspace.
So, DAR, foster your daughter's independence of spirit, just let her practice on less precious things (pretend to her that they matter more than they really do, or she won't be interested...)
TOO
There's a lot said about the way in which we teach navigation. Here in the Old Country, we teach how to pre-determine drift and groundspeed to come up with an estimated heading and ETA. We then modify this in the light of what we actually encounter in the air. We are made to use a circular sliderule with a wind triangle device on the other side, no electronics allowed. I once met an instructor who thought this was all rubbish and that we should be teaching people how to feature-crawl and feel the drift from moment to moment. I listened to him for a while and he seemed to be sincere in what he was saying, maybe he was right but I haven't had the courage to break away from our tried and trusted method. I must say that the only times I use a circular slide rule now is when I'm teaching other people how to use it. It's a tablet for me, even IMC on a long multi-waypoint trip around complex airspace.
So, DAR, foster your daughter's independence of spirit, just let her practice on less precious things (pretend to her that they matter more than they really do, or she won't be interested...)
TOO
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yeah you need also to think about the unintended consequences like what lesson has she learnt about how her parents treat her and their attitudes. What's more important to you your daughter or a wineglass?
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'Interesting thoughts...
Before I reassociate the wine glasses with airplanes, my concerns about wine glasses were not the number being carried by younger daughter, but both her's and my wife's reaction had one been broken due to my daughter's unimagined carelessness in waving them around. And, my daughter not recognizing that the request to her was really advice as to achieving the best outcome, with our experience as a basis for the risk vs benefit decision.
As I think about a similar piloting situation, I can imagine suggesting/asking a new pilot to taxi the plane out to the taxiway, and back onto the apron at the far end, rather than weaving along the apron, through parked planes and moving people. My experience might allow me confidence that I could taxi safely through the apron, but I'd be happier to think that the new pilot would not attempt it, and would be happy to be seen to select the lower risk approach, when there was no benefit to the higher risk.
While taxiing a Twin Otter, whose effective wingspan had been increased by 8 feet with wingtip probes, I already thought about the congestion on the apron, and elected the taxiway instead. I briefed the much more experienced pilot to my right, whose expression instantly conveyed his concurrence, and relaxation at the decision I had made, without him having to suggest. The tiny benefit in time saved by a more direct taxi was totally overwhelmed by increased risk of damaging something too expensive for me to pay for! The pilot to my right had the experience to taxi it wherever, I had the experience to not attempt that.
I continue to mentor my younger daughter to more demonstrate her experience making good risk vs benefit decisions, as she pushes the boundaries. If I'm not sweeping up glass in the mean time, so much the better!
I saw white wine in their glasses, younger daughter and I were drinking juice! I took older daughter for a flight afterward...
Before I reassociate the wine glasses with airplanes, my concerns about wine glasses were not the number being carried by younger daughter, but both her's and my wife's reaction had one been broken due to my daughter's unimagined carelessness in waving them around. And, my daughter not recognizing that the request to her was really advice as to achieving the best outcome, with our experience as a basis for the risk vs benefit decision.
As I think about a similar piloting situation, I can imagine suggesting/asking a new pilot to taxi the plane out to the taxiway, and back onto the apron at the far end, rather than weaving along the apron, through parked planes and moving people. My experience might allow me confidence that I could taxi safely through the apron, but I'd be happier to think that the new pilot would not attempt it, and would be happy to be seen to select the lower risk approach, when there was no benefit to the higher risk.
While taxiing a Twin Otter, whose effective wingspan had been increased by 8 feet with wingtip probes, I already thought about the congestion on the apron, and elected the taxiway instead. I briefed the much more experienced pilot to my right, whose expression instantly conveyed his concurrence, and relaxation at the decision I had made, without him having to suggest. The tiny benefit in time saved by a more direct taxi was totally overwhelmed by increased risk of damaging something too expensive for me to pay for! The pilot to my right had the experience to taxi it wherever, I had the experience to not attempt that.
I continue to mentor my younger daughter to more demonstrate her experience making good risk vs benefit decisions, as she pushes the boundaries. If I'm not sweeping up glass in the mean time, so much the better!
I'm curious, what wine were you drinking?
