Indeed... Don't take it personally Kiwi

Mean, MEAN! If I said you were ugly and your mom dressed you funny, that would be mean.

I gave you some free advice from a pilot with 38 years in aviation.

MEAN!

Pretty thin skinned if you ask me. And if you have a passenger opening the door in flight you have other problems too.



Well, you and your passenger are ok so you did something right.

The best, most important lessons I learned were when someone was ''mean'' (by your definition) to me.

I would call it being stern, being forceful, but not mean.

Yes, and, you may also have free advice, which will be purposefully phrased so as to not be mean, from one who has 37 years as a pilot.

I have been the recipient of "mean" advice, in the past, and yes, I did remember and learn from it. Though I would have learned every bit as well were that same advice not have been mean, just advice.

It is my opinion that "advice" could be given in two types of circumstances. In one, the person is asking for the advice, thus receptive to the reply, and likely to take it to heart. "Mean", "direct", "pointed" or "edgy" don't really make that advice any more effective - just the advice, and some kind mentoring are all that are needed.

In the other circumstance, "advice" can be directed toward someone who has not asked for it, but really seems to need it. That advice might need an edge, to get the point through....

We old timers are not effective in attracting new people to share our joy of aviation, if we appear to be repelling them.

Plus 1 here. If you p i s s people off they are a lot less likely to heed your advice.

Talking of doors opening in flight, the doors on a Gardan Horizon make great air brakes if your main brakes decide to take a day off and you are on hard runway with a downward slope.

Of course your passenger has to do their bit, simultaneously!

Is this something we can expect to see soon on the skills test :)

mean...fine, I'm mean.

tough it out. and I've introduced many to aviation and they stuck with it. And they have been friends for many, many years.

mean. I guess by your standards I am.

but I'll bet the guy who had the door problem won't have one again.

I think my sarcasm missed the point, SevenStroke but you did come off a bit strong.

I'm not adverse to a bit of criticism , i've had people giving me some stern advice before, all of which i deserved. I got some strips torn off me after what i thought to be a very successful xcountry sign off flight (in nz you do a few flights solo and with an instructor then you get the xcountry flight test which usually involves a major airport , flying published approaches and all sorts of mayhem)

I had an EFATO, flew 2 approaches into wellington , had a second engine out and emergency landing at the kaitoke airstrip (if you can call it that) and a very nasty bad weather turn in a very small tight valley.

all which i pulled off,.. but the instructor thought i was obviously too happy with myself and proceeded to give me a debrief which did not leave me wanting to celebrate the fact i'd got signed off

I did get the door closed, i did let ATC know i did have a good flight and happy pax, i also opened the door trying to fix it, and i missed it on my checks... thats not going to happen again.

Yesterday i flew across the same stretch of water and hit some of the most violent turbulence i have come across apon reaching the coast. i lost my headset and my head found the roof twice. i'm still here maybe i did something right again?

An open door handled incorrectly can be life threatening, I know of at least one incident where the Pilot became over distracted by this on a departure in IMC and ended up dead.

This was in a Cirrus which you do have to be very specific that the doors are properly latched, but it is still a weakness of the design of certain models in my opinion.

In reality in this aircraft it is a none event how the aircraft flies but can be very alarming as they tend to pop open and noise is the main distraction and can alarm passengers which is not good, and I would certainly recommend this as an experience as part of formal training

Kiwi sounds like you handled well and now have sought further opinions, some of which are good advice and you will be that much more experienced if there is a next time.

You need to get a bungie and strap the thing on now.

We only require pilots to do that after the first time it happens. You need to contact your medical examiner and they will put a restriction on your medical.

"Due to a wonky shaped head the pilot must secure headset using bungies or duct tape before the flight commences"

@007Helicopter yep your 100% right, did something wrong, survived checked the door a lot on my last flight! i have also flown an SR20 and know the issue with those gull wing doors.

@Mad Jock .... yeah according to the 'Straits' regulars who fly this route alot,.. i have now passed a right of passage. A) lost headset due turbulence B) been unable to hold altitude +/- 500ft due turbulence, thank fully controller was kind.

How did the unreasonable price that they weren't prepared to pay compare with the cost of renting a replacement aircraft for three months?