Originally Posted by
JohnBurke
Such melodrama. Wow.
You want a camera to see the wingtips of a cruiser? Really? Can't actually keep the airplane from hitting something without seeing your wingtips? .
Now you are just being openly hostile, for no good reason. When did I say I can't actually keep the airplane from hitting something without seeing my wingtips? I didn't. You are just so quick to assume that you know everything and everyone else is a moron that you think you can put words in my mouth.
Like anyone else here or anywhere else, some of us have to learn some of our lessons the hard way. Once in 250 hours is hardly routine. Furthermore, I would leave my hypothetical camera off, except where my only other safe option would be to shut down (obstruct) the entire taxiway while I shut down, get out, and see for myself. I agree with you and others here who, like me, keep their eyes out of the cockpit 99.9% of the time. That still leaves 0.1% where instruments are worthwhile tools, not crutches. Don't assume.
Originally Posted by
JohnBurke
If a PT6 "blows apart," one has much bigger issues than being able to see out.
Mine wasn't a Caravan; it was an air tanker in the middle of a very active wildfire, and yes, it wasn't a PT6A that failed, but it was a turbopropeller TPE-331-10. It was a catastrophic failure with loss of all oil. I put mine on a mountainside. No, a camera wouldn't have helped.
Not even an armor-plated one.
Did you have oil all over your windsheild? I thought most air tankers were multi-engine with none up front. Lucky for you that there were no trees. I said "Lucky", not necessarily "skillful", nor knowledgeable.