Pilots

[Baker]

Fk27, SA227, DHC8, SF240, ATR42, ATR72, EMB145, B737, B757, B767

Current UAL 737 Captain

I don't think it is just at night. It is any part of the operation of a boat. While the dynamics of operating a boat are different(some similar), the decision making process is the same. Like the wife of a pilot said above...we operate unwieldy large complex machines...a boat is no different in that regard. And it is the intake of data(conditions and threats, controllable or otherwise) and the processing of that data to make a decision. Many people get flustered on a boat when things aren't going their way. A good operator will know all potential outcomes based on the data present and have a plan for those outcomes based on the conditions. That is where pilots excel because that is what we do for a living.

So, IMO, yes, the decision making processes are similar regardless of the conditions.

 

[Nopistn]

ok like the other pilots out there. Flying decisions are very timely since the world is going by fairly quickly. Boating decisions have slowed down to 8 knots, plenty of time to make mistakes and correct them. Over the past 40 + years in both boating and flying I've seen many pilots transition to sail or power. Just what we do. For you pilots, Part 135, 121, CFI, DPE ( over 5,000 Check rides)DC6 my favorite of the aircraft I've flown. Retired 2 years ago, haven't been in a tin can since.
Boating is much more relaxing and you can walk around when you need to stretch.

This is one thing I love about flying a 777 freighter.

 

[HopCar]

There is a danger mixing boating and flying. I bet every pilot can look at the picture and figure out why he crashed.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/lo...ticle214152254.html#emlnl=Breaking_Newsletter

 

[AlaskaProf]

There is a danger mixing boating and flying. I bet every pilot can look at the picture and figure out why he crashed.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/lo...icle214152254.html#emlnl=Breaki.ng_Newsletter

Yup. Forgot where he was. "Gear down" is not always the correct answer.

 

[Steve91T]

There is a danger mixing boating and flying. I bet every pilot can look at the picture and figure out why he crashed.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/lo...ticle214152254.html#emlnl=Breaking_Newsletter

Gear down for a water landing. Classic example of doing something out of habbit without actually thinking of why you’re doing something.

 

[alfamike]

why crashed

Yep - less then 2 seconds of looking at picture we pilots all knew what he did.


Alfa Mike

 

[CanadianBoater]

I've experienced an engine out in an Apache while flying IFR. My left leg would've had traded anything to have been in a Mixmaster. Fortunately it all ended well after an off-field landing. Any landing you can walk away from right?

That was 25+ years ago. Now I have a good story to tell and a whole lot more respect for Murphy.

I do miss flying from time to time, but boating more than fills up my need for fun, friends and adventure.

Thank you for sharing your story.
And I'm even more glad that you are still alive to tell it.
I lost power just after Vr in a Cheyenne once. Circled around safely and landed on one engine. Likely only a 3 minute flight, but felt like 20. I learned a lot that day, and did a bunch of reflecting after it was done. Even though I knew the right thing to do was continue on, it was tough to not pull the power and land straight ahead. The difference is at 500 feet the human mind says just go for it. Now I am a logical person most of the time, but at 5 feet, even my logical brain considered pulling the power for a split second. I've always had trouble seeing grey areas though, I am probably far too black or white in thought process. Maybe why I changed my field of study from Medical school to Law. The law is very black and white. Something is either legal or illegal, well most often anyway. Lawyers have a bad reputation I know. But I fight hard for what I believe in, and that is the law. Flying is a bit the same way, we are trained as pilots to do this or that. I actually like the structure of it, almost as much as the actual flying itself. And while I know many people hate me because of my profession, I enjoy being a lawyer for the same reason, structure and guidelines. The part where I excel is in being calm, cool, and logical. Panic is not something I am familiar with. It interests me when people get upset by say a near miss on their boat. Doesn't matter at all to me, missed by 6 inches, 6 feet, or 60 feet, a miss is a miss. If the two or more boats do not collide, who cares and move on.

 

[Skyking]

Fairy pilot

I was a pilot in training before my health grounded me. I was building time being an aircraft fairy pilot. I would deliver aircraft around the southeast mostly. Did some midwest trips and a few Bahama trips. My hopes was to be a bush pilot out west around the Rockies. In my down time I was the aircraft repair tech's third hand and a line service tech. I did a lot of trades stuff prior and have certs in industrial mechanics and auto mechanics. I was almost talked into becoming a tech or avionics repairman. I just didn't like the thoughts of going back to school. Should have done it.

Ferry pilots move airplanes for someone else; Fairy pilots fly without airplanes

 

[FF]

"Ferry pilots move airplanes for someone else"

In the USN there are 2 squadrons of ferry pilots VRF31 east coast and VRF 32 , west coast.

The rules to ferry are very easy , an Open book exam and a couple of TO & landings.

I always wanted to fly the DC3 - C 47 , so read Da Book.

The most amazing procedure was a single engine Take OFF !!!

Didn't get to try one tho.

 

[diver dave]

There was a group here in Miami that had several Sky Masters. It was called Brothers to the Rescue. They would fly down toward Cuba to spot the rafts trying to get to the USA. They would then direct the Coast Guard or near by boats to pick them up.

I once met the fellow who started it and I asked him why the Sky Master. He said they wanted twins for flying over water and it was easier to get pilots trained for the Sky Master than conventional twins.

Unfortunately the Sky Master is no match for a Mig 29. Castro shot down two of them in international air space.

Not long after that, I was flying down around Cay Sal out of Marathon, taking shots of anchorages and finding Blue Holes. I still remember FSS saying "stay North of 24 deg Lat"; about 5 times during the briefing. I think I followed that advice, but hearing the Cuban approach control and having a fly-by from the Falcon jet with orange trim made these flights interesting. Oh, and the low lever 360's for photos too.

ps; in this same time frame, there were reports of beached raft survivors dying on elbow cay, etc down there.

 

[ben2go]

There is a danger mixing boating and flying. I bet every pilot can look at the picture and figure out why he crashed.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/lo...ticle214152254.html#emlnl=Breaking_Newsletter

We can save her and put her back to service.

Ferry pilots move airplanes for someone else; Fairy pilots fly without airplanes

WoW! Someone finally caught onto that joke. I was waiting on someone to respond with something about a Fairy Princess or something. I'm glad my children are grown and gone, except one. He still has a couple more years.

 

[Baker]

It interests me when people get upset by say a near miss on their boat. Doesn't matter at all to me, missed by 6 inches, 6 feet, or 60 feet, a miss is a miss. If the two or more boats do not collide, who cares and move on.

First off, it is not a "near miss". A near miss is a collision because they "nearly missed"...but actually collided. We would call it a "near collision".... The industry term in aviation now is "near mid air".

Secondly, there is much to learn from a near collision. So we do care...so next time we don't come so close... Human performance is fascinating to me and one of the things I like about being a pilot.....gettting into the "why did he do that" when there were so many more safe options.

Spoken like a pilot I guess....

 

[NightCrawler]

I'm getting dizzy. . .