2 Bits Or A Buck Fifty? How About 5 Bucks

[Cole]

Well the coffee has yet to be graded by WM himself but it got a "Not bad" this morning. Noone said it's excellent... I think I may have to double the strength to facilitate the needs of an instructor who does his own maintainance.

 

I don't feel all the arguments posed by rotorhead and 412 were 100% valid, Most of rotorhead's issues are based on writing that can easily be taken out of context. I'll appologize again for leaving what is "no problem" and "down to a science" open to the readers imagination. Both Rob's see it as perfect, no need to change anything, I see it as done without much hassle, everything always has room for improvement. EVERYTHING, there is no perfect pot of coffee as there is no perfect auto.

 

So is that - 8 cups water, 9 spoonfulls of coffee grounds?

 

Mabey its writing that I need more work on?

 

To clarify, see my last post, Im on board with 412, If I ever feel I'm perfect at anything it will be the last time I do it. A guy from my riding group last summer refused to listen to advice, he was very over confident and the day he said "I can do that road perfectly" is the same day I had to throw his bike in the back of a pickup truck off that road, and not by rolling it.

[Cole]

Also note that I'm seeing my instructor read this, I'm sure I'm now in for copious amounts of randomized autos and other emergencies and will be marked on the "Wendell scale" for them.

 

Cheers.

Cole

[Cole]

So after re reading the posts of Rob Wood, Rob ****, Jason Brown, and many others I'm more certain then ever that these posts are not meant in any hostility, quite the contrary in fact.

 

It seems we're all just mis-interpreting what the other side is saying from time to time as above, and it seems the issue of overconfidence and being cocky is a bit of a misunderstanding in text.

 

I will make the effort to find more descriptive phrasology than "no problem" from now often as it seems to be the source of alot of what has been going on.

 

Thanks again for your concern and I'll assure you once again that nothing you say on here isnt given serious considderation.

 

Cole

[SLB]

Two bits, buck fifty, five bucks, talk about inflation!

 

To tell the truth I don’t usually spend much time reading these forms it was only after Cole had me read the post by Heli Jay that I read the entire Cole tire fire thing or was that that light the tires, something like that.

 

Anyway, I am not of this new generation that posts their life in pictures on face book and blogs their daily life on the internet for the world to read. I am not judging them, but it seems to me that sometimes they can type faster than they can think. What in my day would be a good story at the pub to a couple of classmates becomes trial by internet with an anonymous judge and jury.

 

By the way, why doesn't everyone use their real name in these forums we are all adults and should be responsible for what we say. Or at least the people reading your post would be able to consider the source. I have trouble deciphering the code of who belongs to what handle.

 

Having trained a few students in my time, I have experienced cockyness and over confidence in some of them. Often I deal with a skilled but overly self assured student by giving them a more difficult, not easier task. A task that will result in some level of failure in a controlled environment. Perhaps, a frozen water bucket head!

 

In my experience every successful person has an aspect of cockyness and confidence. I would not want a heart surgeon that has ANY DOUBT in his ability, perform my quadruple bypass.

 

A good pilot should have no doubt in his ability to perform the task he/she is about to undertake. But he should be very self critical and honest in his assessment of his abilities and the risk involved. Never forgetting that people entrust their lives to them every flight and that those people deserve to see their families at the end of the day.

 

As flight instructors our commitment to our future pilots should be to help them to see that being a good helicopter pilot is not about thrills and showing off, but about constantly developing the skills and judgment needed to transport people and goods in a safe and efficient manner. I believe that exposing my students to as many operational situations requiring them to use good judgment, in a controlled flight training environment works toward this goal more effectively than just lecturing.

 

I am not sure how introducing vertical reference skills and experiencing flight in 1 mile visibility can be construed as cowboy flying.

 

Wendell

[Cole]

Ya know, the more you let me make the coffee the closer you'll be to that bypass.

[Mark_]

I'm not going to take sides on this one but I do have an observation to make. We have all heard over and over again that the one thing 100 hour wonders are lacking is operational experience...Wendall is giving that to Cole.

 

I think that it is a very good thing that Rob raised his concerns and brought this topic to the forefront as it seems he wasn't the only one concerned and it needs to be discussed.

 

Mark

[transquebecniece]

Like Mark, no desire to take sides.

 

Don't know Cole personally, nor his folks, but I do know Cole's contemporaries and their mindset; I have three male Coles, ages 16-21...and all their buddies to compare and contrast. Indeed, there's a touch of immortality in this age group. Who among us was not the same at that age?

 

I often see unbridled enthusiasm and outright exuberance come across as cockiness, but I've also seen displays of overconfidence morphed instantly into humbly transforming experiences. Why? Common sense, a good head on their shoulders and a solid will prevailed.

 

I sense these qualities in Cole. But I do get the concerns of others, too. One of my sons learned to drive from a former race-car driver who constantly put him into aggressively defensive driving and skid situations, in the mountains and in rush-hour traffic in the heart of the city, to test and refine his reactions. Today, he's the only one I feel safe with on black ice and in blizzard conditions. He stays calm and collected and has a keen sense of proper action, reaction and recovery. And he's only 18.

 

I sense this in Cole, too. Only up there in the air. And he's been around here long enough to know the value of what you say, of your concerns, and the good sense to listen to and evaluate your opinions and feedback without being personally offended; this I know. To that, I give Cole credit. And to you all, kudos to you for putting Cole tactfully under the microscope for his own benefit; it exemplifies the brotherhood of your industry. Carry on!

 

Done talking about you in the third person, like you're not here, Cole. Don't you hate it when people do that? You keep listening and learning, guy!

[Zazu]

Two bits, buck fifty, five bucks, talk about inflation!

 

To tell the truth I don’t usually spend much time reading these forms it was only after Cole had me read the post by Heli Jay that I read the entire Cole tire fire thing or was that that light the tires, something like that.

 

Anyway, I am not of this new generation that posts their life in pictures on face book and blogs their daily life on the internet for the world to read. I am not judging them, but it seems to me that sometimes they can type faster than they can think. What in my day would be a good story at the pub to a couple of classmates becomes trial by internet with an anonymous judge and jury.

 

By the way, why doesn't everyone use their real name in these forums we are all adults and should be responsible for what we say. Or at least the people reading your post would be able to consider the source. I have trouble deciphering the code of who belongs to what handle.

 

Having trained a few students in my time, I have experienced cockyness and over confidence in some of them. Often I deal with a skilled but overly self assured student by giving them a more difficult, not easier task. A task that will result in some level of failure in a controlled environment. Perhaps, a frozen water bucket head!

 

In my experience every successful person has an aspect of cockyness and confidence. I would not want a heart surgeon that has ANY DOUBT in his ability, perform my quadruple bypass.

 

A good pilot should have no doubt in his ability to perform the task he/she is about to undertake. But he should be very self critical and honest in his assessment of his abilities and the risk involved. Never forgetting that people entrust their lives to them every flight and that those people deserve to see their families at the end of the day.

 

As flight instructors our commitment to our future pilots should be to help them to see that being a good helicopter pilot is not about thrills and showing off, but about constantly developing the skills and judgment needed to transport people and goods in a safe and efficient manner. I believe that exposing my students to as many operational situations requiring them to use good judgment, in a controlled flight training environment works toward this goal more effectively than just lecturing.

 

I am not sure how introducing vertical reference skills and experiencing flight in 1 mile visibility can be construed as cowboy flying.

 

Wendell

 

Well written Wendell. Lord knows I've never had a hook fail on me (inserting tongue into cheek )

 

Fly safe

 

Zazu

[Skids Up]

Cocky?? Why not?

 

I remember just over 11,000 hrs ago, that I had the world by the tail! And there wasn't anything I couldn't do with a Bell 47!

 

Now I have days where I wonder how I managed to land, pick or place the load, or hit anything smaller that a 1000 hectar blaze with the bucket.

 

I agree that at the training level Cole is at. he is not proficient at hardly anything. But at least he has the idea and a small amount of experience to build on.

 

The first time I ever went drip torching...

 

(me) "I've never done it before!)

(the boss) "Don't worry, You'll have it figured out by the time you get there!"

 

Tough learning curve.

 

So Cole, appreciate the experience you are getting. You will get worse, and then get better. Some days you think this is so easy, and some days you will swear you'll never try THAT again!

 

And always, watch and learn from others, and the one thing you will learn is, that we never know it all, or have it "aced"!

 

Is he Cocky? Excited? Pleased with his progress? WE should all feel excited about what we do, and think that we can do it well. Doesn't (shouldn't) mean that we quit learning, and I personally think that Cole seems to be learning from what has been said by himself and Wendell.

 

But humility does follow, and the trick is not to bend anything when it does...

 

Wendell, good on you for giving all the experiences you can to the student to help them through.

 

And besides, his new helmet should keep his head down to a normal size anyway.... :lol:

 

 

PS: And no, we should never be cocky, (beginning of post), but just strive to do it better each time and learn from our peers and mistakes.

[Cole]

Thanks Skids Up, I have those fluctuations from day to day, and flight to flight.

 

By no means do I think I'm perfect at anything, theres a long way for me from having a reasonable grasp on something and 'perfection'.

 

I've never been so much as in the same room with Wendell for more then a minute without learning something. Whenever you get comfortable with something there is a new element introduced.

 

Thanks again.

Cole