In response to P2 – HERE
Once. When I was very young an Uncle took me on in his joinery shop, so I could earn some holiday money. First job – after sweeping the floors was sharpening the ‘cutting’ tools. At first it was only chisels, even then, it was only ‘beaters’ used for rough work a senior apprentice set me up, showed me ‘how to’ – once, gave me the basic rules and left me a pile of ‘old clunkers’ to carry on with. It took a little while to get the hang of it, but the skill was learnt – I thought. After a little longer, a journeyman brought in some better chisels and lathe tools, gave me the basics and left me to it; it took a while and many mistakes, but eventually – I learned the way of the things and, the basic principals, learnt properly kept me out of too much trouble (and a thick ear). Then a craftsman brought me a new chisel and showed me the basics; once again with some effort, I learnt the skill of bringing a factory finished tool up workshop standard, i.e. to a point where a craftsman could, (and would) productively use it.
Then, a master craftsman (Grandfather) taught me the secrets of sharp ‘iron and steel’ : adze, axe, spoke shave, plane chisels and gouges; and most importantly that any cutting tool, you could not shave with – was dangerous. Selah.
My point? – Oh, it’s simple enough; as a neophyte I learned from a senior apprentice; to apprentice level; from a journeyman some finer skills were learnt; from a craftsman some finesse was learnt and from a master – an art was learnt; so it is with flying.
It seems now that senior ‘master’ craftsmen must revisit and demonstrate (satisfactorily) their early training on clunkers and beaters in order to demonstrate, to an apprentice, who cannot begin to comprehend the training given since and additional skills learned over a long period of time. This must be the epitome of stupidity.
A cutting edge is exactly that; an ILS is exactly that – it’s a question of the degree and polish of the razor edge which separates the master craftsman from the lowly schoolboy. Or; the Weeks wet dream of mediocrity from hard, sharp edge of professional reality. My Grandfather would not allow an ‘Oliver’ within a mile of the workshop, let alone his prized – best work – cutting edges. Yet this new DAS presumes to mediate whether a professional, transport pilot can do an ILS in an Aerostar or even the benign single engine C182.
Bollocks; ego driven bullshit and green eyed monsters. When Oliver Skidmore-Twist can do what a professional airline pilot can do; everyday, 24/7x 365 – and; qualify for command of a real aircraft: then, perhaps he’ll see the purblind stupidity and gross insult offered today to ‘the real deal’. Duck off, you bloody amateurish, poseur and wind bag. Just bugger off, for pities sake; sod off: you make me embarrassed for you.
Aye well – ‘nuff said.
Toot (bloody) toot. P9.
