What skills atrophy first?

[Michael 182]

Flew today for the first time in two months. I'm a 1000 hour pilot, so it's
not as if I'm starting from scratch, but I really felt slow on every
thinking step. Had to refer to checklists to remember all the preflight,
startup, takeoff drills, which made me wonder what I had forgotten on
emergency and other checklists, so I reviewed them in the run up area. Once
I got off the ground I was fine, and landings were no problem - probably
muscle memory takes over. So I guess, for me, the thing that atrophies first
is procedures. Maybe a sign of age...

Michael

[Tom Sixkiller]

"Michael 182" > wrote in message
news:Zw%fc.155251$K91.408307@attbi_s02...
> Flew today for the first time in two months. I'm a 1000 hour pilot, so
it's
> not as if I'm starting from scratch, but I really felt slow on every
> thinking step. Had to refer to checklists to remember all the preflight,
> startup, takeoff drills, which made me wonder what I had forgotten on
> emergency and other checklists, so I reviewed them in the run up area.
Once
> I got off the ground I was fine, and landings were no problem - probably
> muscle memory takes over. So I guess, for me, the thing that atrophies
first
> is procedures. Maybe a sign of age...
>
"They once asked boxing great Willie Pep how an athlete could tell his
career was over. Willie said, "First the legs go, then the reflexes go, then
your friends go". My friends went first." -- Bob Uecker, _Catcher in the
Wry_".

[Tom Sixkiller]

"Michael 182" > wrote in message
news:Zw%fc.155251$K91.408307@attbi_s02...
> Flew today for the first time in two months. I'm a 1000 hour pilot, so
it's
> not as if I'm starting from scratch, but I really felt slow on every
> thinking step. Had to refer to checklists to remember all the preflight,
> startup, takeoff drills, which made me wonder what I had forgotten on
> emergency and other checklists, so I reviewed them in the run up area.
Once
> I got off the ground I was fine, and landings were no problem - probably
> muscle memory takes over. So I guess, for me, the thing that atrophies
first
> is procedures. Maybe a sign of age...
>
Okay...all kidding aside...

You might want to try Ginkgo Biloba...it may be psychosomatic, but I find it
helps. IAC, it could just be fatigue as well.

Some people start feeling it earlier than others. My boss had me get some
training since he doesn't feel so sharp anymore -- he wanted someone along
for co-pilot. He's 67 years old and until last year he was flying a Citation
CJ as a single pilot.

[C J Campbell]

I fly with a lot of older pilots (typecast, I guess) and pilots who have not
flown in a long time. A lot of these guys could fly the airplane in their
sleep, if they could just remember where they parked it. :-)

Radio skills go first, no question about it. People who have not been flying
a long time or who are nearing the end of their careers start looking for
any way they can to avoid talking on the radios. They will avoid airspace
and fly way out of their way just to keep off the radios. Cross country
planning skills go about the same time. Then they stop looking outside the
cockpit.

IFR becomes very difficult, if not downright impossible.

The skills they retain the longest are the mechanical skills. I have flown
with pilots who have not been behind the controls for twenty years and they
take off and land like they never stopped. But they can't get more than a
mile or two from the airport without being totally lost.

Age takes a toll on night vision, too. IFR scan slows down with both age and
lack of practice, as does knowledge of procedures and regulations.

[Michael 182]

"C J Campbell" > wrote in message
...

<good stuff snipped>


> Age takes a toll on night vision, too. IFR scan slows down with both age
and
> lack of practice, as does knowledge of procedures and regulations.

Lack of practice is key. I have enjoyed the freedom and challenge of having
an inst. ticket, but unless my lifestyle changes in some way that allows far
more frequent practice, I'll probably not fly in any significant IMC again.

[Jim Baker]

"Michael 182" > wrote in message
news:Zw%fc.155251$K91.408307@attbi_s02...
> Flew today for the first time in two months. I'm a 1000 hour pilot, so
it's
> not as if I'm starting from scratch, but I really felt slow on every
> thinking step. Had to refer to checklists to remember all the preflight,
> startup, takeoff drills, which made me wonder what I had forgotten on
> emergency and other checklists, so I reviewed them in the run up area.
Once
> I got off the ground I was fine, and landings were no problem - probably
> muscle memory takes over. So I guess, for me, the thing that atrophies
first
> is procedures. Maybe a sign of age...
>
> Michael
>
The last time I flew was 6 years ago. I hadn't flown in about 2 years at
that point. Like you, the procedures had gone kaput, but I wasn't a small
airplane, civil pilot anyway so didn't think too much about that. Like you,
I could fly the airplane fine...the CFI "said" he was impressed since I
hadn't flown a small (172SP) airplane since the late 1970's and wanted me to
go on...probably more for having a student than anything else lol. Unlike
what CJ posted above though, I didn't have any problems on the radio, flew
a couple of ILS approaches under the hood and the cross check was fine but
the thing that surprised me the most was not a lack of skill, but interest.
After about 5,000 hours of flying, I just had no interest in doing it
anymore. I was surprised, flying had been my life for a long time. But,
the fire just wasn't there anymore and it still isn't. I like to hang
around the newsgroups because so much of my life was tied up in flying, but
I have no desire to go do it anymore. Strange.

JB

[Cub Driver]

>Flew today for the first time in two months. I'm a 1000 hour pilot, so it's
>not as if I'm starting from scratch, but I really felt slow on every
>thinking step. Had to refer to checklists to remember all the preflight,
>startup, takeoff drills, which made me wonder what I had forgotten on
>emergency and other checklists, so I reviewed them in the run up area. Once
>I got off the ground I was fine, and landings were no problem - probably
>muscle memory takes over. So I guess, for me, the thing that atrophies first
>is procedures. Maybe a sign of age...

Yes, I have this experience almost every spring. It's the checklist
that gets me. I stumble through it and fret that I've forgotten
something. (It is hell to sit in the back seat of a Cub with the
engine running and realize that you have not checked the fuel level.)

Once in the air, it is as if the horse that was sitting on my chest
has gotten up and wandered off.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! blog www.vivabush.org

[Cub Driver]

> Cross country
>planning skills go about the same time. Then they stop looking outside the
>cockpit.

A neighbor came over one time, and apropos nothing, she suddenly said:

"First they forget to zip up their pants.

"Then they forget to *unzip* their pants."



all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! blog www.vivabush.org

[Jim Fisher]

"Cub Driver" > wrote in message
> A neighbor came over one time, and apropos nothing, she suddenly said:
>
> "First they forget to zip up their pants.

I've been doing that more and more often, lately. Why the heck is that?



--
Jim Fisher

[EDR]

In article <Zw%fc.155251$K91.408307@attbi_s02>, Michael 182
> wrote:

> Flew today for the first time in two months. I'm a 1000 hour pilot, so it's
> not as if I'm starting from scratch, but I really felt slow on every
> thinking step. Had to refer to checklists to remember all the preflight,
> startup, takeoff drills, which made me wonder what I had forgotten on
> emergency and other checklists, so I reviewed them in the run up area. Once
> I got off the ground I was fine, and landings were no problem - probably
> muscle memory takes over. So I guess, for me, the thing that atrophies first
> is procedures. Maybe a sign of age...

It is all in how you were taught or learned.
Most of us were taught and practiced the memorization method.
As we got older and more forgetful, we adopted the checklist method.
As flight becomes more infrequent, the checklist method would work if
we would just remember to read the list.
Anothertechnique is the flow method.
You key off of an action (throttle change, prior to taking the runway,
level off for cruise, turn off the runway, etc) which triggers you to
sweep from one side of the panel to the other, making the appropriate
switch/lever actions as you pass them. With the flow method, an
abreviatied checklist highlights only the necessary actions and
considerations.
Others have posted this as what the military teaches, I am learning by
reading John C Eckalbar's book, IFR: A STRUCTURED APPROACH.

[William W. Plummer]

"Michael 182" > wrote in message
news:Zw%fc.155251$K91.408307@attbi_s02...
> Flew today for the first time in two months. I'm a 1000 hour pilot, so
it's
> not as if I'm starting from scratch, but I really felt slow on every
> thinking step. Had to refer to checklists to remember all the preflight,
> startup, takeoff drills, which made me wonder what I had forgotten on
> emergency and other checklists, so I reviewed them in the run up area.
Once
> I got off the ground I was fine, and landings were no problem - probably
> muscle memory takes over. So I guess, for me, the thing that atrophies
first
> is procedures. Maybe a sign of age...

This has been studied by psychologists. As we age the ability to control
multiple, parallel activities is what diminishes. This means we need to
prioritize tasks so we are sure to do what is most important, but may skip
something if need be. Remember: Aviate, Navigate, Communicate -- in that
order.

[Daniel L. Lieberman]

Thanks a lot Chris are you insulting the people with 30 year layoffs or
don't you like bounce landings (3 touch and gos in one landing)?

Daniel

[John Gaquin]

"Michael 182" > wrote in message

> Flew today for the first time in two months. .....I really felt slow on
every
> thinking step. Had to refer to checklists.....Once
> I got off the ground I was fine, and landings were no problem ....the
thing that >atrophies first is procedures. Maybe a sign of age...


That's why they're called "check-lists". Items that are non-crucial enough
to be left to memory, are left to memory. In the airline environment, where
you often fly multiple legs each day, the problem is insidious in the
reverse. Each crewmember runs through their respective flows, then the
checklist is read and the appropriate crewmember gives the appropriate
response. Despite professional training and daily exposure, there are
regular (though rare) cases of people responding to the checklist challenge
with the expected response when in fact the item in question has been
overlooked and *not* properly set. The "take-off flaps" setting has been an
issue in a few accidents, I believe. Bottom line: use the list, pay
attention, and don't ever hurry through it.

The first thing I noted degrading at about age 45 was an element of vision.
Everything was sharp and clear, but landing in the early evening became
problematic. It wasn't really loss of depth perception, just a sense of
being somehow "disconnected". Daylight and full night were fine, just that
dusky time was difficult. The medico went on and on about age and eyeballs,
but essentially said that's normal, and I'd adjust. For a month or so I
always arranged for the F/O to make any dusky landings, and by then the Doc
was right, I adjusted. Ho-hum.

[Darrell]

The phrase "Use it or lose it" certainly applies to flying.

--

B-58 Hustler History: http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/
-

"Michael 182" > wrote in message
news:Zw%fc.155251$K91.408307@attbi_s02...
> Flew today for the first time in two months. I'm a 1000 hour pilot, so
it's
> not as if I'm starting from scratch, but I really felt slow on every
> thinking step. Had to refer to checklists to remember all the preflight,
> startup, takeoff drills, which made me wonder what I had forgotten on
> emergency and other checklists, so I reviewed them in the run up area.
Once
> I got off the ground I was fine, and landings were no problem - probably
> muscle memory takes over. So I guess, for me, the thing that atrophies
first
> is procedures. Maybe a sign of age...
>
> Michael
>
>

[Stealth Pilot]

On Sat, 17 Apr 2004 14:58:19 GMT, "William W. Plummer"
> wrote:


>
>This has been studied by psychologists. As we age the ability to control
>multiple, parallel activities is what diminishes. This means we need to
>prioritize tasks so we are sure to do what is most important, but may skip
>something if need be. Remember: Aviate, Navigate, Communicate -- in that
>order.
>
aviate navigate procrastinate communicate

dont talk until you have it sorted out :-)

Stealth Pilot
Australia


actually I may as well weigh in with an observation or two as well.

I had an 18 year break from flying (family induced poverty)
when I returned I spent a year reading theory as though I had to pass
an exam. I then did some pretty focussed intense flying and was back
in the air in just under 5 hours. ...and rusty as hell.
What turned it all around for me was a friend spending 4 months
overseas. fly my aeroplane while I'm away will you?
I was able to go out and just prep the aircraft and fly without peer
review. that allowed all the thought processes to sort out and I've
never looked back.
I now fly about 70 hours per year.

what I forgot in the 18 years were all the subtle things that the
manuals and discussions here on usenet dont cover.

how an aircraft engine is turned off.
I knew it wasnt like a car but couldnt remember idle cutoff.

the attitude differences between the various flight speeds.

radio procedures had changed totally. it didnt take long to re drill
those. i dont care if they arent syntactically perfect as long as they
arent misunderstood.

this silly nonsense of checklists amazes me. pilots are no longer as
fluent or as out of the cockpit as we once thought necessary.
Australian WW2 pilots flew all aircraft using a scan technique.
first scan right to left turning everything off. then scan left to
right turning everything on and setting it as needed for flight.
after startup a roger check. revs, oil, gyros, electrics and radios.
aircraft awareness during flight was maintained by a periodic left to
right scan.
I abandoned checklists as being too slow and returned to the
techniques my old WW2 instructors instilled in me. I fly out the
window in a full on see and avoid attitude and I listen to the
aircraft. the noises tell me whether the prop is off at an angle
(slip) and whether the engine is happy.

what I have found in all this is that periods away from flying are
full of an adults life of thoughts and if you dont fly frequently the
flying memories seem to get more buried than they did in youth.

adopting a flying style which you feel comfortable with is essential
to maintaining competence.
fly regularly to keep the memories from being buried by the rest of
your life's considerations. see 70 hours per year as the desirable
minimum and do some long distance cross country flying to keep the
whole thing interesting.

being passionate about the craft is important as well. if you arent an
enthusiast then you wont be focussing the mind when you are flying and
you wont stay as current no matter how many hours you do.
Wittman was a practising CFI at 92 and his secret must have been
enthusiasm diversity and currency.
The oldest guy to renew a class 1 instrument rating was 99.
heartfelt enthusiasm can arrest the deterioration.

If your flying has become boring then get an interesting aircraft.

Our SAAA raffled a Jabiru one year that was won by a doctor.
this chap had flown a baron for years around his country practises and
was bored to tears by it. He reckoned that the little Jabiru was such
a light nimble thing to fly that he'd fallen in love with aviation all
over again. when I met him he was a face full of grin and reckoned
that he felt like a teenager again.

if even a change of aeroplane or countryside doesnt get your interest
back again then try flying young eagles. their enthusiasm is
infectious.

a homebuilt Tailwind at age 51 is doing it for me :-)
Stealth Pilot
Australia

[G.R. Patterson III]

Jim Fisher wrote:
>
> "Cub Driver" > wrote in message
> > A neighbor came over one time, and apropos nothing, she suddenly said:
> >
> > "First they forget to zip up their pants.
>
> I've been doing that more and more often, lately. Why the heck is that?

In your case, you probably think you're advertising.

George Patterson
This marriage is off to a shaky start. The groom just asked the band to
play "Your cheatin' heart", and the bride just requested "Don't come home
a'drinkin' with lovin' on your mind".

[Teacherjh]

>>
The first thing I noted degrading at about age 45 was an element of vision.
Everything was sharp and clear, but landing in the early evening became
problematic. It wasn't really loss of depth perception, just a sense of
being somehow "disconnected". Daylight and full night were fine, just that
dusky time was difficult. The medico went on and on about age and eyeballs,
but essentially said that's normal, and I'd adjust. For a month or so I
always arranged for the F/O to make any dusky landings, and by then the Doc
was right, I adjusted. Ho-hum.
<<

The way you put it, the loss of acuity was sudden (it took a month to adjust).
Was it so?

Jose

--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

[darwin smith]

John Gaquin wrote:

>
>In the airline environment, where
>you often fly multiple legs each day, the problem is insidious in the
>reverse. Each crewmember runs through their respective flows, then the
>checklist is read and the appropriate crewmember gives the appropriate
>response. Despite professional training and daily exposure, there are
>regular (though rare) cases of people responding to the checklist challenge
>with the expected response when in fact the item in question has been
>overlooked and *not* properly set.
>
Is there anything that prevents the "challenger" from backing up a few
items in the checklist?
You wouldn't want to jump forward because of the chance that you'd
forget to come back
to the items you skipped. By jumping backwards, though, you've disrupted
the standard
flow and forced the responder to think about what you just said, and if
nothing else you
have a chance to double-check a few items.

I would think this is something that you wouldn't want to go overboard
with, but applied
judiciously I don't see any major drawbacks to the idea. Any comments?

Rich Lemert

[C J Campbell]

"Daniel L. Lieberman" > wrote in message
...
> Thanks a lot Chris are you insulting the people with 30 year layoffs or
> don't you like bounce landings (3 touch and gos in one landing)?
>

I was not thinking of you specifically, but now that you mention it... :-)

As you know, I tell people the reason I land so badly is that I want to
encourage them to hurry up and learn so that they don't have to endure my
landings any more.

[Teacherjh]

> Is there anything that prevents the "challenger" from backing up a few
> items in the checklist?
>[...] Any comments?

I don't think it's the order of the items, but the items themselves.

Carb heat? (remembering three flights ago).... OFF

Jose

--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

[Cub Driver]

>> "First they forget to zip up their pants.
>
>I've been doing that more and more often, lately. Why the heck is that?

I wouldn't worry about it until you start to forget about *unzipping*.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! blog www.vivabush.org

[Wizard of Draws]

On 4/17/04 12:52 PM, in article , "G.R.
Patterson III" > wrote:

>
>
> Jim Fisher wrote:
>>
>> "Cub Driver" > wrote in message
>>> A neighbor came over one time, and apropos nothing, she suddenly said:
>>>
>>> "First they forget to zip up their pants.
>>
>> I've been doing that more and more often, lately. Why the heck is that?
>
> In your case, you probably think you're advertising.
>
> George Patterson
> This marriage is off to a shaky start. The groom just asked the band to
> play "Your cheatin' heart", and the bride just requested "Don't come home
> a'drinkin' with lovin' on your mind".

I've met Jim. He is.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino
Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
www.wizardofdraws.com
www.cartoonclipart.com

[John Gaquin]

"Teacherjh" > wrote in message
>
> The way you put it, the loss of acuity was sudden (it took a month to
adjust).
> Was it so?

It wasn't a loss of acuity. Nothing out of focus, details apparent, depth
perception seemed (and tested) OK. The only way I could describe it then,
and now, is that it seemed like the visual information wasn't getting
processed quickly enough. After about a month, either I adjusted or the
problem went away.

[John Gaquin]

"darwin smith" > wrote in message news:rnegc.11303
> >
> Is there anything that prevents the "challenger" from backing up a few
> items in the checklist?

There's always a balance. On the one hand, you want the crew paying
attention. On the other, years of experience have shown that standardized
procedures enhance overall safety by making non-standard circumstances stand
out in bold relief. I don't think having someone jump around in the
checklist would be a good idea. I stopped flying almost ten years ago, so I
don't know what's current now, but one thing some carriers were talking
about was rotating the list reading duty among the crew. I always flew a
three person cockpit, and checklists up through engine start were *always*
read by the F/O, by company policy. I seem to recall that at one carrier
for whom I flew the 747, checklists while taxiing would be read by the F/E,
but I'm not real sure, and I'm not going to run to the basement right now to
look it up.

[Teacherjh]

>>
The only way I could describe it then,
and now, is that it seemed like the visual information wasn't getting
processed quickly enough. After about a month, either I adjusted or the
problem went away.
<<

How did you figure out this was happening? How long did it take to manifest?

Jose

--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

[John Gaquin]

"Teacherjh" > wrote in message > <<
>
> How did you figure out this was happening? How long did it take to
manifest?

Actually, now that I think of it, it probably took a month or so to develop,
and another month to "go away". In the normal course of events, you just
don't make all that many landings in dusky conditions. I just noticed one
evening that during the landing -- not the whole approach, mind you -- I
just felt sort of "out of it", like I wasn't fully connected. I noticed it
again later, on another evening landing. After a few occurrences like this,
I couldn't identify any problem, so I started having the F/O make landings
around dusk, while I just sort of "monitored my senses". After a while, I
was feeling more comfortable with it again, so I resumed, and all continued
fine. I guess the whole cycle covered a couple of months. Never had the
problem since -- of course, as I said, I haven't flown in almost ten years.

[Roger Halstead]

On Sat, 17 Apr 2004 01:13:29 GMT, "Michael 182"
> wrote:

>Flew today for the first time in two months. I'm a 1000 hour pilot, so it's
>not as if I'm starting from scratch, but I really felt slow on every
>thinking step. Had to refer to checklists to remember all the preflight,

I always have used checklists.

>startup, takeoff drills, which made me wonder what I had forgotten on
>emergency and other checklists, so I reviewed them in the run up area. Once

It's always a good idea to review the check lists (that is why they
are called check lists)

>I got off the ground I was fine, and landings were no problem - probably
>muscle memory takes over. So I guess, for me, the thing that atrophies first

Muscle memory atrophies as does any other unused skill.

I have a Math minor. I haven't used any of it since I graduated. No
way could I do a derivative or integral now. It would take weeks of
review to get any where near what I could do when I graduated.

>is procedures. Maybe a sign of age...

Maybe and maybe not. Probably not if you are in good health and not
well past retirement age.

I too am a thousand plus.
I have always had the same reaction. If I don't fly for a while, I
feel like I'm along for the ride the first time or two around the
pattern. I felt that way in the Piper Colt way back in 63 and I feel
that way now with the Deb. I could go out and fly a cross country
fine, but it's when things are happening fast, as in the pattern or on
an approach the thinking can easily be overloaded. Remember how
complicated things seemed with those first instrument lessons under
the hood, or flying a STAR for the first time. Yet once you get onto
it, the instrument flying can be easier (for trips) than VFR.

The mind, requires exercise just like any other muscle. Unused skills
such as radio, and instrument which are probably the most intricate
and require the most thought would suffer first. It's normal to
require a short period for adjustment.

It's not the flying part, although I'd not want to have to recover
from a low altitude accelerated stall right off the bat.

ALL skills atrophy. Even the so called, "muscle memory" will atrophy.
Our thinking also atrophies just as muscles. Our routine has grown
rusty as have our responses. Just think of instrument proficiency.
If you fly a lot in the system you are comfortable. Take some time
off and it's time to go back, practice, and take a competency check.
That is required regardless of age.

The results vary and each individual responds... well... in their own
way.

Age can, and will at some point play a part with all of us who last
that long, but there is a huge difference between individuals. There
are those who would be considered elderly that are sharper than some
50 year olds and some in their 50s with the characteristics of the
elderly. Some reach well into their 60s or even 70s before it even
becomes a factor.

It's unlikely age is going to be much of a factor in a healthy 50 year
old. Now days it shouldn't play much of a part until late in the 60s,
but again it varies with every individual.

With increased life spans, better diets, and better health the general
effects of aging on average, probably don't show up until about a
decade later in life than they did for those born in the early and mid
1900s.

Roger( Damn, now where did I put the Ginkgo Biloba?) Halstead
(K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com
>
>Michael
>

[Roger Halstead]

On Sat, 17 Apr 2004 12:26:47 -0400, "John Gaquin"
> wrote:

>
>"Michael 182" > wrote in message
>
>> Flew today for the first time in two months. .....I really felt slow on
>every
>> thinking step. Had to refer to checklists.....Once
>> I got off the ground I was fine, and landings were no problem ....the
>thing that >atrophies first is procedures. Maybe a sign of age...
>
<snip>
>The first thing I noted degrading at about age 45 was an element of vision.

I had 20/10 vision in both eyes until around 45. Then things started
getting fuzzy. I was really worried and went to the Doc. His
diagnosis. My vision had started to deteriorate. It was now 20/20. I
was thinking, "My Gawd. The rest of the world sees this badly?"

However as time progressed so did the need for glasses. Bifocals even.
Now my eyes are improving and I no longer need glasses for distance or
even reading the instruments. I do need them for reading the charts
though.

>Everything was sharp and clear, but landing in the early evening became
>problematic. It wasn't really loss of depth perception, just a sense of
>being somehow "disconnected". Daylight and full night were fine, just that

I never had that, except the only time I tried landing after dark with
blended bifocals. I saw three runways. I picked the one in the middle
and threw the glasses in the back seat.

I found I need the plain glass on the lower sides as I land in a
relatively nose high attitude. So, I went back to regular bifocals
with the small near vision piece.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

>dusky time was difficult. The medico went on and on about age and eyeballs,
>but essentially said that's normal, and I'd adjust. For a month or so I
>always arranged for the F/O to make any dusky landings, and by then the Doc
>was right, I adjusted. Ho-hum.
>

[Cub Driver]

>It was now 20/20. I
>was thinking, "My Gawd. The rest of the world sees this badly?"

I've had 20/20 corrected in my right eye at least since I was in high
school. I married a woman with superlative distance vision (which has
since deterioriated). Happily our daughter got the maternal genes.

One time when I was sailing with Kate, I was watching an osprey feed
her young on a nest in a tree maybe a thousand yards away, through
eight-power binocs. I offered the glasses to Kate, but she shrugged
them off. "If I look through the glasses, the bird will be bigger, but
it won't be any clearer."

That's when I realized what really good vision meant!

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! blog www.vivabush.org

[ET]

"Jim Baker" > wrote in
:

>
> "Michael 182" > wrote in message
> news:Zw%fc.155251$K91.408307@attbi_s02...
>> Flew today for the first time in two months. I'm a 1000 hour pilot,
>> so
> it's
>> not as if I'm starting from scratch, but I really felt slow on every
>> thinking step. Had to refer to checklists to remember all the
>> preflight, startup, takeoff drills, which made me wonder what I had
>> forgotten on emergency and other checklists, so I reviewed them in
>> the run up area.
> Once
>> I got off the ground I was fine, and landings were no problem -
>> probably muscle memory takes over. So I guess, for me, the thing that
>> atrophies
> first
>> is procedures. Maybe a sign of age...
>>
>> Michael
>>
> The last time I flew was 6 years ago. I hadn't flown in about 2 years
> at that point. Like you, the procedures had gone kaput, but I wasn't
> a small airplane, civil pilot anyway so didn't think too much about
> that. Like you, I could fly the airplane fine...the CFI "said" he was
> impressed since I hadn't flown a small (172SP) airplane since the late
> 1970's and wanted me to go on...probably more for having a student
> than anything else lol. Unlike what CJ posted above though, I didn't
> have any problems on the radio, flew a couple of ILS approaches under
> the hood and the cross check was fine but the thing that surprised me
> the most was not a lack of skill, but interest. After about 5,000
> hours of flying, I just had no interest in doing it anymore. I was
> surprised, flying had been my life for a long time. But, the fire
> just wasn't there anymore and it still isn't. I like to hang around
> the newsgroups because so much of my life was tied up in flying, but
> I have no desire to go do it anymore. Strange.
>
> JB
>
>

I know not of what I speak, since I've only been behind the controls of a
plane twice in my life, but I read an article awile back that the
prescription for your afliction is a flight behind the controls of a
Piper Cub.....

Dunno, but it's probably worth a try :-)

--
ET >:)

(future student pilot and future Sonex builder)


"A common mistake people make when trying to design something
completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete
fools."---- Douglas Adams

[Jim Baker]

"ET" > wrote in message
...
> "Jim Baker" > wrote in
> :
>
> >
> > "Michael 182" > wrote in message
> > news:Zw%fc.155251$K91.408307@attbi_s02...
> >> Flew today for the first time in two months. I'm a 1000 hour pilot,
> >> so
> > it's
> >> not as if I'm starting from scratch, but I really felt slow on every
> >> thinking step. Had to refer to checklists to remember all the
> >> preflight, startup, takeoff drills, which made me wonder what I had
> >> forgotten on emergency and other checklists, so I reviewed them in
> >> the run up area.
> > Once
> >> I got off the ground I was fine, and landings were no problem -
> >> probably muscle memory takes over. So I guess, for me, the thing that
> >> atrophies
> > first
> >> is procedures. Maybe a sign of age...
> >>
> >> Michael
> >>
> > The last time I flew was 6 years ago. I hadn't flown in about 2 years
> > at that point. Like you, the procedures had gone kaput, but I wasn't
> > a small airplane, civil pilot anyway so didn't think too much about
> > that. Like you, I could fly the airplane fine...the CFI "said" he was
> > impressed since I hadn't flown a small (172SP) airplane since the late
> > 1970's and wanted me to go on...probably more for having a student
> > than anything else lol. Unlike what CJ posted above though, I didn't
> > have any problems on the radio, flew a couple of ILS approaches under
> > the hood and the cross check was fine but the thing that surprised me
> > the most was not a lack of skill, but interest. After about 5,000
> > hours of flying, I just had no interest in doing it anymore. I was
> > surprised, flying had been my life for a long time. But, the fire
> > just wasn't there anymore and it still isn't. I like to hang around
> > the newsgroups because so much of my life was tied up in flying, but
> > I have no desire to go do it anymore. Strange.
> >
> > JB
> >
> >
>
> I know not of what I speak, since I've only been behind the controls of a
> plane twice in my life, but I read an article awile back that the
> prescription for your afliction is a flight behind the controls of a
> Piper Cub.....
>
> Dunno, but it's probably worth a try :-)
>
> --
> ET >:)
>
> (future student pilot and future Sonex builder)
>
>
> "A common mistake people make when trying to design something
> completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete
> fools."---- Douglas Adams

You might be right ET. Maybe I just need to get as far from big, fast
aircraft as possible to enjoy flying again. I'll look around the area and
see if there's any Cubs available.

Thanks,

JB

[Cub Driver]

>prescription for your afliction is a flight behind the controls of a
>Piper Cub.....

Not only for his affliction, but for almost anyone's, for almost any
ailment :)

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! blog www.vivabush.org

[Tom Sixkiller]

"Cub Driver" > wrote in message
...
>
> >prescription for your afliction is a flight behind the controls of a
> >Piper Cub.....
>
> Not only for his affliction, but for almost anyone's, for almost any
> ailment :)
>
Thanks, but I'll go with the WACO YMF-5!!

[Jim Fisher]

"Wizard of Draws" > wrote in message

> I've met Jim. He is.


Haw!