From: ginsberg@t.Stanford.EDU (Matthew L. Ginsberg)
Subject: Re: Any tips for a pilot-to-be?
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University.
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 19:20:12 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.040241.23474@netcom.com> hchong@netcom.com (Hoi Chong) writes:
>From article <1993Jan11.033003.26791@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU>, by ginsberg@t.Stanford.EDU (Matthew L. Ginsberg):
>> Let's give Mr. Chong a break.  Our complaint isn't with him, it's with
>> his instructor.  If he can't tell how far away a cloud is while flying,
>> and feels that climbing into/near clouds to get over a mountain is
>> sensible for a student pilot, he shouldn't be flying solo.
>> 
>> 						Matt Ginsberg
>
>Wow, I can see it now.  Mr Ginsberg pitying poor Chinaman, cannot even
>drive, must less fly a plane.  If a Chinaman should make a mistake, that
>means he will do it EVERY time.  We've got ourselves another
>Mr I-never-make-a-mistake, don't we?  :-) 

What *I* see here is a serious attitude problem.  What you're supposed
to learn from an aviation mistake -- and what I try to learn from mine --
is not simply to avoid that *particular* mistake, but to avoid that *class*
of mistake.

Mr. Chong is pretty lucky not to have killed himself by flying into a
cloud.  Based on the partial account of the incident, it appears that
the mistakes made included at least the following:

1) Inability to determine vertical distance from cloud
2) Over-reliance on weather forecasts
3) Failure to respond appropriately when in the cloud
4) Poor understanding of "terrain management"

I'm assuming that Mr. Chong entered the cloud from underneath, since he
has defended his actions by saying that no clouds were forecast at that
level.  If you enter a cloud from *below*, the correct initial response
is to descend, not execute a 180.

I also am having trouble visualizing the conditions when Mr. Chong
entered the cloud.  Was the top of the mountain obscured or not?  If
it was not obscured, then Mr. Chong should have realized that as long
as he was in the cloud, he could at least take comfort from the fact
that he couldn't hit the mountain.  (Now a climbing 180 might make
some sense, but Mr. Chong has never defended his actions in these
terms.)  If the top of the mountain *was* obscured, it is difficult
to understand how Mr. Chong proposed to clear the mountain without
entering the cloud.

There is much for Mr. Chong (and his instructor!) to learn here about
a variety of topics.  What Mr. Chong appears to have learned is that
he shouldn't be flying around in clouds.  I guess that's a good
lesson, but it is really something he should have known before this
incident ever occurred, and it some sense misses the "point" of what
happened to him, which is (to my mind) about avoidance as opposed to
recovery.

I also share the bboard community's disappointment with the manner in
which Mr. Chong has responded to any criticism of his actions.
Subject line notwithstanding, I share the feeling that Mr. Chong
posted his original article in the expectation of a slew of messages
all saying roughly, "Hey, dude.  Bad situation, but you dealt with
it like a pro.  Good job."

Well, Mr. Chong, it was a *good* situation, and you dealt with it like
an amateur.  You *are* an amateur.  So that is my advice for all
pilots-to-be (and pilots, too!): Recognize your limitations, and learn
from your mistakes.  Don't think you're a better pilot than you are.

If you don't understand, have a look at some of Stormwind's postings.
My guess is that she's a little *too* conservative, but I really
respect her careful attitude toward flying.  I'm very happy to share
airspace with her.

						Matt Ginsberg


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