Thanks very much for your thoughtful response to my message. Allow me to use
your comments to clarify my initial submission. At 08:48 AM 2/5/97 -0500,
you wrote:
>>The aviation community may not have done as well in providing career
development support" as some would have liked. However, I bet that we have
more good pilots out there than bad by some large order of magnitude.<<
Yes, by a very large order. My point is that these pilots could be valued
more highly by the community (regulated and hierarchical) in which they work.
>>I think "every man for himself" may not be all that bad a filter, if it
separates those who spend the extra effort to improve themselves from those
who wait for someone to bring progress to them.<<
>>As pilots gain experience one would hope that they have selected models of
appropriate leadership to emulate as they progress through the seniority
ranks and upgrade to new equipment or positions or both.<<
I wholeheartedly support individual initiative and efforts for self
improvement. We are our "own raw material" and responsible for our own
development. But it's a tough profession with many career risks, and my
guess is it can get pretty lonely at times. The best among us need coaching
and encouragement along the way. And the responsibilities are great, even
initially, so what I'm trying to get at is that more effective early
leadership development is desirable.
>>Certainly there is a mass of material and courses available in and outside
of the industry on leadership and career development. The interested
professional should have no trouble finding more than enough information in
those areas.<<
On this point I'm not so sure. There certainly are a lot of leadership books
on the shelves, but I haven't been terribly satisfied with what my limited
research has uncovered, considering material should be appealing to the busy
operational pilot on the "go." I'd be grateful for any suggestions. Also,
for the individual to become "interested" there needs to be a stimulus, some
early exposure. The advantages aren't necessarily intuitively obvious.
>>I would hope that they [candidates] become a focus for more intensive
training by their employer or that the upgrade training system could be made
more discriminating. In part, that is what a good CRM program is all about.<<
I believe that was Wendy's point, and to start early: "What better time to
introduce CRM concepts, than at the beginning of training... Once actively
flying, the students with "trained in" CRM skills, can and usually will,
demonstrate the skills earlier and with more confidence." I simply wanted to
support her viewpoint.
>>You are right in saying that methods and techniques alone do not provide a
long term solution, or panacea, for aviation safety. However, when teamed
with a pilot's training, appropriate observation, attention to detail,
study, personal initiative, and common sense they do go a long way.<<
Yes, and much progress has been made. But, for what it's worth, I'd like to
see still more emphasis on the integrated whole.
Like you, I have a military flying background, and greatly value the
experiences. I also appreciate the initial support system that also provided
life long friendships. Educated in business management, I have operated
aviation companies. Now, one of my interests is in initiatives that will
improve safety in GA and smaller flight organizations, areas I feel need
more emphasis. That's why I jumped in here.
Sorry the response is so lengthy. I do appreciate your input. All the best, Bob
______________________________________
Aviation Safety Connection
http://www.aviation.org
Robert M. Jenney, Director
28 Columbia Road, Marblehead, MA 01945
rmj_at_aviation.org, 617-639-1313