Once again, I enjoy the interaction and experience you bring to the table.
As always, allow me to share a few more observations:
You said >>> I am influenced by mishap reports. I know that it CAN happen
to me. It only takes one friend's crash to open the eyes of many aviators.
<<<
I have been involved in MANY discussions of mishaps. I routinely ask my
classes how many know friends who died in airplane crashes. I wonder,
however, WHAT they actually learn by this study. Many (or at least "some")
will analyze the mishap and deduce that the accident was caused by a a) dumb
aviator (not often I think) or by b) a regular aviator who did a dumb thing
(more often I think). In either case, they may very well think that "it
can't happen to me." I wonder if the American Airlines crew (Cali,
Columbia) would have been appreciably different? There is certainly
adequate evidence that they were well trained AND recently trained... yet
missed a few critical things!
You also said >>> Also, the type of crew and mission have a big impact on
the individual. On my last deployment to the desert in the KC135, we had
some emergency drill conducted in the middle of the night. As an aircraft
commander, it was my responsiblity to query the crew about how this action
affected their crew rest and if they felt able to fly the following day.
Who else would stick up for them? The fighter crews that I talked to
never even considered the fact. They just don't "whine" about crew rest.
<<<
My comment... we cannot forget that the purpose of flying is usually to get
things done, NOT to stop them from getting done. This is certainly true for
the typical military mission. I was very interested in the unstated
"criteria" for cancelling military missions for human factors reasons...
during my last assignment with AF Special Ops (motivated outfit!). I asked
all the squadron commanders about those criteria... all said the aircraft
commander could cancel a mission for those factors. One told me that YES,
they could cancel, but they would be held accountable for those human
factors WITHIN THEIR SPAN OF CONTROL, that caused cancellation ofthe
mission. He was saying that personal illness or a death in the family was
OK, but a guy (or girl) would most certainly be held accountable for not
flying because they drank too much last night. I thought this commander was
the most mission oriented of the crowd.
I liked you comments about it being easier for you to act as commader of the
crew than as an individual... be advised, however, that being in a
responsible command position seems to heighten the feeling that 'I can
personally do anything.' I have never head of a squadron commander
cancelling his personal flight for human factors... or personally going to
see a 'shrink' or the chaplain.
Enough already....
Jeff Hill
Delta Air Lines