"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
Bob F. writes:

I remember sitting at a meeting at RTCA, the same people who determine
how
your avionics work, and we were having an ergonomics discussion and some
really strange issues were popping up. So I asked the question of the 20
or
so people around the table...how many of you people fly? You know what?
I
was the only one. Scary isn't it.

Should it be? Ergonomics is a study in itself and largely independent of
the
situation to which the study is applied. Pilots are human beings like
anyone
else and their human reactions to specific types of external stimuli are
identical to those of anyone else, so general principles of ergonomy can
be
applied to a cockpit without necessarily having any experience therein.
The
important thing for these people to understand is how human beings and
machines interact, not the specific purpose of the interaction. Or
course,
knowing a little bit about the patterns of interaction can't hurt, but
they
don't have to be pilots for that (they can just put pilots in a sim and
ask
them what they think).

Many people use computers all day, and they suffer fatigue from the poor
ergonomy of their work environment, but their long experience with
computers
does not help them to resolve the problems with ergonomy, and they may not
even be aware of them. A specialist, however, might immediately recognize
the
problems just by watching a person use the computer, and need not have any
experience using a computer herself.

Similarly, engine mechanics need not be pilots, and pilots need not be
mechanics, at least in theory. Small aircraft require a lot more
knowledge of
engines than they really should, though, thanks to the ancient designs of
the
powerplants.


It was a rhetorical question without a lot of detail. And you answered it
without fully understanding the problem, just like any Senior Executive,
Politician or 12 year old. Absolutely correct, obvious, and useless to
anyone trying to get the job done. ...with no disrespect. And you included
in your answer using far more words than I did, that the underlying problem
was that no one offered experience example.

--
Regards, BobF.