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#21
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"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 |
#23
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"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. |
#24
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"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. |
#25
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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) |
#26
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"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. |
#27
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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 |
#28
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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. |
#29
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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 |
#30
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"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 |
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