This is in relation to the other thread about intentionally staying in airborne icing.pika wrote: Just out of curiosity... Did you discretely pull the youngster aside and correct the error of his ways with the voice of reason and experience or just vent on this forum?
In theory and as far as the regs go there is nothing wrong with blasting off by yourself or even with passengers and encountering or experimenting with situations you have never encountered before, like icing or even actual IMC. In fact, in many places it is required and some private operators (Navajos and such that don't fall under 604) there is very little required besides meeting the insurance requirements which are usually more limiting than the regs.
Unfortunately legal isn't always safe.
So my question is: How do you deal with somebody who is obviously, but maybe obliviously putting themselves in a dangerous condition?
I am excluding training here, because in training whether ad initio, a type rating, or a PPC you are geared up for such criticism and generally are being critiqued by somebody with far more experience than you.
But when you encounter someone who does something that is obviously dangerous, do you tell them? Do you take them aside as not to embarrass them? Or do you avoid provoking the pilot ego and the torrent of rationalization that often comes with it?
I had a situation this summer. This was just days after two glider pilots were killed and I was really feeling the mortal side of aviating. A young pilot in a 150HP 172 doing his 300NM cross-country was loading up two standard weight passengers and one over standard weight passenger to what he referred to as 'max gross'. It was the heat of the day, temp in the high 20s, no wind, 5000' density altitude, and a 3000' field with obstacles on each end.
The pucker factor goes up when I with ten times the hours take a 172 up on days like that, so I decided I would have a talk with him about the conditions, about the configuration, method, and abort considerations I use for the field.
He seemed very receptive and took my advice almost too seriously, as he unloaded passengers and did a circuit, each time loading one more passenger in. By the time he took off with a full load, the wind had picked up and the temperature had dropped, making the final takeoff effortless and probably making him wonder what on earth I was so concerned about.
My second question is, how do you as a pilot take criticism of your decisions or flying methods? Are you defensive? Or do you step back and reflect on your actions? Have you ever changed your actions based on what someone on this board has said?
Me. I am a far more conservative flier from reading this board. I don't advance prop levers until the throttles are idle because of H and Cat Driver. I always look for a wheel before touchdown fixed or movable because of 'H'. In general, I am far more willing to say no because of Cat Driver.
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