From the ABC:-
One of the reasons I miss the old Air Safety Digest (ASD) is that it never failed to provide a timely reminder to both old and new generations of airmen (I do include the ladies in the honorific title ‘airmen’) of the old killers – Carby ice for example; VFR into IMC; all the ‘traditional’ killers of aircraft and crew and some ‘new’ wrinkles in the old rules which govern that mysterious ethos ‘airmanship’. Fuel injection, GPS, auto pilots which work, cool head sets which take away the noise, no requirement for position reports, radio generated landing bills and a solid belief that ‘our’ engine will never quit; all lull us into a ‘false’ sense of security; a cocoon of belief that all will turn out well in the end, the legislation assures us of this – we are all so much ‘safer’ now .
And yet the grim reaper still earns a crust from the same old traps. Murphy has never resigned and continues to enjoy his law. But then; and not be mawkish, perhaps fate is the hunter after all. Don’t know – who’s to say you won’t get out of bed, feeling great and fall over the cat – land on your head and it’s lights out. Be careful, but not afraid; there are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but very few old, bold pilots.
Enough said: “set ‘em up here barkeep, we shall drink a quiet toast to those gone before us, to await our arrival".
"Beud 'iidhanak" - Selah.
One of the reasons I miss the old Air Safety Digest (ASD) is that it never failed to provide a timely reminder to both old and new generations of airmen (I do include the ladies in the honorific title ‘airmen’) of the old killers – Carby ice for example; VFR into IMC; all the ‘traditional’ killers of aircraft and crew and some ‘new’ wrinkles in the old rules which govern that mysterious ethos ‘airmanship’. Fuel injection, GPS, auto pilots which work, cool head sets which take away the noise, no requirement for position reports, radio generated landing bills and a solid belief that ‘our’ engine will never quit; all lull us into a ‘false’ sense of security; a cocoon of belief that all will turn out well in the end, the legislation assures us of this – we are all so much ‘safer’ now .
And yet the grim reaper still earns a crust from the same old traps. Murphy has never resigned and continues to enjoy his law. But then; and not be mawkish, perhaps fate is the hunter after all. Don’t know – who’s to say you won’t get out of bed, feeling great and fall over the cat – land on your head and it’s lights out. Be careful, but not afraid; there are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but very few old, bold pilots.
Enough said: “set ‘em up here barkeep, we shall drink a quiet toast to those gone before us, to await our arrival".
"Beud 'iidhanak" - Selah.