Training Themes
CRMDEEN_at_aol.com
Sat, 20 Sep 1997 10:39:30 -0400 (EDT)
Gerry Joering raises a very important point about the tone and themes
that sometimes develop during CRM classes. The common failure in aircraft
crashes is pilot performance. If the pilot maintains control of safe and
proper heading, altitude, and airspeed, the aircraft will not likely crash.
When the pilot fails to do this, the airplane crashes; and we call that
pilot error.
Those of us in the CRM industry are learning more and more about the
challenges to those basic pilot skills, and, I hope, we are on the track of
reducing the errors resulting of those challenges. It is very easy for a CRM
class to take on a theme of what I call "poop on the pilot", and this is not
productive. Pilots know that their peers sometime make error. Pilots accept
that their task is special, and they know they are the key player in
producing the "magic" of pilotage. People who are not pilots respect and
admire that magic. Humor that degrades the skills of a pilot will destroy a
CRM class, and while pilots are willing to accept they are fallible, they do
not appreciate severe criticism of the skills they work so hard to perfect.
I caution all CRM facilitators to control the discussions so that the
cause of pilot error is understood, and prevention methods are developed, but
do not "poop on the pilots." I believe CRM teachings should challenge the
pilots to be better, not degrade their profession nor usurp their authority.
None of us would appreciate being told to go to a training session which
berrated our professional skills. We need to improve the pilot profession,
not tear it down.
Greg Deen
HTI