...by Richard VanGrunsven and Vic Syracuse
http://www.vansairforce.net/articles/aviation_courtesy.pdf
v/r,
dr
http://www.vansairforce.net/articles/aviation_courtesy.pdf
v/r,
dr
Anybody else see the double standard here?
So doing it legally somehow magically changes a "dumb stunt" into a daring act of bravado that thousands will pay money to see? Hmmm. I'm all for safety but it's difficult to reconcile this. For better worse, a large portion of the population wants to see higher risk events and we all make choices about the level of risk we accept in our own activities. These can range from inching above the posted speed limit in our car to jumping the Grand Canyon in our rocket powered motorcycle. Being legal does not necessarily make all such acts safe, nor does being illegal make all such acts unsafe.
Strive to minimize the risk to others so that everyone potentially impacted stays in their comfort zone whether driving your car, flying your RV, or jumping the Grand Canyon.
Erich
Just thinking out loud here, but where does formation flying fall on this spectrum?
I always regarded formation flying as high risk, completely unnecessary in the civilian world, and rooted in "showing off". And now that I am involved in formation work thanks to a very experienced and professional ex Air Force instuctor, I have seen the light. It is fun, demanding, deadly serious
...and high risk, completely unnecessary, and rooted in showing off.
Yet formation flying has been embraced by this community.
Anybody else see the double standard here?
Bob, this is exactly how I think about this. I don't want to infringe on anyone else's rights to do something that I might consider risky, but I believe we all owe it to the uninformed, innocent, and naive to do what we can to ensure that this risky activity does not directly affect them.Anyhow, the rubric I apply where it comes to intentional misbehavior is this: Does it unduly endanger any who have not made an informed decision to engage in potentially risky activities?
Great article , I am not only a RV lover /Owner but a Ultralight pilot/lover for the low and slow flight.
I'd like to add to this discussion about the 1percent of RV owners and their arrogance toward Ultralights/ Lightsport Pilots. . Please go to Facebook and look up "Those Magnificent men and their flying machines". Read some of the Discussions about the treatment Low and Slow gets from RV pilots. I feel this falls right in the same places as the 1 percent of bad pilots doing low acro and killing themselves.
To me owning / building and flying a RV is about as close to sex as it gets (maybe better in some cases! Hahahaha). I also feel the same about Ultralights. Why the appreciation of both types of flying is not the same is beyond me.
The complaints from the low and slow communities has risen in recent time and is almost all about RV owner/ pilots and their attitudes towards L&S..
I'd like to encourage those 1percent that I hope read this and understand that Ultralight pilots have the same passion as you and are just as proud of their aircraft as you and it would be really nice if you show the same respect and compassion as they do you!!
Last but not least and I'll get off my soap box. There is an age old pilot saying: There are OLD PILOTS and there are BOLD PILOTS "BUT" there's "NO OLD BOLD PILOTS"!!
Be safe and have fun
Don't jump to conclusions because you saw someone pull their airplane out, jump in and go.
I do mostly post flights. The airplane is completely prepared for the next flight. It is kept in a secure one airplane hangar. All I need to do is noet that I don't have a flat tire or fluid leak on the hangar floor and I'm good to go.
Regarding checklists I don't pass judgement on someone based on whether or not they use a checklist. I feel that checklists should always be used in two pilot crews but in many cases inflight checklists done by a single pilot actually compromise safety. It most certainly reduces the time available to scan for traffic.
Ditto Randall's comments.All this debating about what's specifically safe or legal seems kind of silly to me. I think most of us know just plain dumb or discourteous when we see it (or do it). Structured, disciplined formation flight improves flying skills, is enjoyable to watch, and safe when done right. "Bouncing" someone you don't even know in a low and slow is just plain childish. It comes down to common sense and the recognition that what you do has the potential of contributing to an unfavorable stereotype of RVers (or worse).
Ditto Randall's comments.
Common sense, good judgement, and professional courtesy should be what we all aspire to and the core values of the pilot culture that we are part of. If enough of us demonstrate that consistently it will steer the culture to higher ground. Occasionally there will be those who are oblivious to the cultures values, but we can minimize it by always setting a good example.