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Slide 2 WARNING SIGNS IN PILOTS What Scares the Experts Some Initial Findings from AERI Bill Rhodes Copyright, Aerworthy Consulting, LLC September 2009 Slide 3 Airmanship Education and Research Initiative (AERI) AERIs Sponsors Avemco Insurance Company Cirrus Aircraft Corporation Advanced Aviation Simulators, Inc. Independence Aviation, LLC. Research Boston Corp. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana Slide 4 An Informal Survey of a group of aviation enthusiasts Facts Predictions Slide 5 What is scary? Slide 6 A Telling Tale I began asking around about what scares experts Patterns emerged (well see some soon) Then, eerily, some individuals I knew emerged Even more eerily Slide 7 The Experts: Hands-on Experience Mature, highly experienced (OK, mostly old) pilots InsuranceUnderwriters and Claims Experienced CFIs Accident Investigators Slide 8 Expert Pilots--Observed Experimental Design (Partial) - Simulator work - Confidence-inspiring reactions Results - More patterns - Positive reactions Limitations: Sample size Slide 9 What to do or Who to be? Doing is important - Industry teaches what to do - Often, pilots know what to do, and fail to do it The sort of person one is matters a lot - Common knowledge among GA insiders But - Little or no theory of airmanship - No convenient language Working these issues Slide 10 So, What Scares Experts? Slide 11 HTS1: Take risks But doesnt flying always involve risk? A question of calibration Risk-management Self-Assessment Slide 12 HTS2: Know it all Resist advice and instruction - Hurry through instruction - Dont study; dont listen - Blame airplane, sim, instructor Brag a lot - Status Consciousness - If I had a dime for every time Ive heard pilot and ego in the same sentence Slide 13 HTS3: Plan on the unrealistic/barely realistic Lack of awareness of risk Full (or beyond) exploitation of airplanes capabilities Full (or beyond) exploitation of own capabilities Slide 14 HTS4: Be in a hurry Gotta get moving Gotta get there Gotta speed through training Got no time for the real business of flying Slide 15 HTS5: Be extremely confident in piloting skills We need confidence, of course The trick seems to be in knowing how confident to be And in being realistic about ourselves and what we attempt Slide 16 HTS6: Advance very quickly Upgrade quickly to high-performance equipment Race through instruction/ratings Slide 17 HTS7: Show off Pilots and their airplanes really are doing something remarkable Pushing it Slide 18 HTS8: Ignore the Book(s) and the Mentors Performance Avionics and Accessories Weather Human factors Slide 19 Scary Pilot Syndrome Lack of Skills? No! Lack of Humility? YES! CFIs can easily work to develop skills But a scary character is a challenge Slide 20 SoWho should a pilot try to be? Well, not scary! What are the qualities we trust? Not sure yet, but looks like: - Self-Knowledge - Self-Mastery - Caring about whats really important - Giving aviation the time and devotion it (and families) deserve