Originally Posted by
Flydafe
We can train anyone to be a pilot. We don’t get blessed by the pope with holy water to be christened to fly. I do not know why so many think that standards will fall. I don’t know why so many think that we have a difficult job. Technology and automation has made this job easy. I’ve seen Netflix on tablets at cruise. I doubt that anyone here on this form is Chuck Yeager. What’s the problem? The airlines know that interest in becoming a pilot is falling off among the youth and are desperate to fill seats ten to twenty years from now.
I disagree, It takes certain personality traits, skills and abilities to safely and proficiently fly an airplane. Some technical skills, some social, and a certain amount of eye hand coordination, the ability to problem solve, multi task and work under pressure are paramount. I’ve definitely seen people who are not capable of flying an airplane for multiple reasons. Mostly in primary flight training and unfortunately at least one ex flight attendant POC who got pushed through and was a notoriously incompetent F/O. Neither having been a POC or a flight attendant have anything to do with her lack of ability. But the fact that she was rushed into being an airline pilot because of her racial status without professional vetting are a huge and dangerous problem.
Not just “anyone” can be trained to be a pilot. But people of the right skills, mindset and ability can. Your example of idiots who turn on Netflix’s in cruise is scary, I’d have to ask why you aren’t calling them out on it? I won’t put up with that. People who do stuff like that should be called out and fired if they don’t immediately straighten up. And obviously “cruise” is not a high workload phase of flight.
And with that in mind I’ll say not mentally playing the “where am I going if” game in your head while in cruise wand you’re not fully engaged. I guess it takes a few what if’s to happen to you to make you start you start paying attention. If you don’t always have a plan you are out of the loop. You can’t possibly be in the loop if you’re watching Netflix’s. That means you aren’t doing your job and you need to be straightened out.
Be honest with yourself, right now this instant if your were to lose an engine at cruise do you know how to put yourself in a drift down and either class I or II know what you’ll do next? If you need to look it up you are already behind the power curve.
Automation creates a false sense of security. You have to have the mindset, training and ability to handle going from extreme boredom to holy Shizxzle instantly. Because automation lulls you into a sense of safety and comfort that is a false and dangerous place to be.