The thread about the "Instructor" who had a fatal with his student and personally survived, with all his privilege's revoked brought a friend of mine to mind.
Fred Flintstone, NOT IS REAL NAME started flying just before WW 2, but was one of those people that panic on tests. He never passed the written.
Post war, he bought an airplane, and continued with flying lessons with the local airport, and was found by several instructor to be ready for the check ride. Over the next decades!!!, he failed the written at least 5 times. His instructors were frustrated, as they quizzed him thoroughly before signing him off, as failures count against their record with the FAA. Each time he went, a different instructor prepped him, and signed him off.
In the '70's, his plane was tied down near ours, and I often asked him for assistance when doing maintenances, and conversely he asked for mine. We were both accustomed to doing automotive maintenance, and he was a professional diesel mechanic for a large earthmoving contractor. My expertise was electrical, his naturally, mechanical.
One day I was explaining the serious problem we had, which had been serviced by two different A&P's, with no improvement. Fred Flintstone suggested that I call his favorite A&P for advice, but unfortunately for Fred, he had mentioned earlier that he was flying to that A&P's shop for a problem with his plane. I insisted on going with him, he strongly resisted, and I did not take NO for an answer. Cornered, he took me.
We both learned what we needed, and flew back.
One of the instructors on the field saw me climb out of Fred Flintstone's plane, and found an opportunity to talk with me in private. Fred had near a thousand hours, and no accidents. Fred was an excellent pilot, even skilled in limited aerobatics, legal in his plane. Fred had only a student pilot certificate. If the FAA found out that he had a passenger, his flying world would collapse. Four times a year, the 4 instructors on the field signed him off for solo cross countries, good for 3 months, each in turn. I respected their judgement, and do not pile on them, you are just whacking dead men, they have all flown west.
I had no idea that Fred was not a fully qualified and licensed pilot, and his two flights that day were as near perfectly done as I could have noticed. His taildragger touchdowns were as light a a feather
Fred would have been fine in the '20s, or even the '30's, but todays regulations kept him from being legal. I would guess that in the '20's, he could have been a successful instructor.
Where does a real pilot of his skills fit in 1980's, or today's flying? Drivers license for a medical would not work for him, no 3rd class plus PPL.
Remember also, this was half a century ago.
Fred Flintstone, NOT IS REAL NAME started flying just before WW 2, but was one of those people that panic on tests. He never passed the written.
Post war, he bought an airplane, and continued with flying lessons with the local airport, and was found by several instructor to be ready for the check ride. Over the next decades!!!, he failed the written at least 5 times. His instructors were frustrated, as they quizzed him thoroughly before signing him off, as failures count against their record with the FAA. Each time he went, a different instructor prepped him, and signed him off.
In the '70's, his plane was tied down near ours, and I often asked him for assistance when doing maintenances, and conversely he asked for mine. We were both accustomed to doing automotive maintenance, and he was a professional diesel mechanic for a large earthmoving contractor. My expertise was electrical, his naturally, mechanical.
One day I was explaining the serious problem we had, which had been serviced by two different A&P's, with no improvement. Fred Flintstone suggested that I call his favorite A&P for advice, but unfortunately for Fred, he had mentioned earlier that he was flying to that A&P's shop for a problem with his plane. I insisted on going with him, he strongly resisted, and I did not take NO for an answer. Cornered, he took me.
We both learned what we needed, and flew back.
One of the instructors on the field saw me climb out of Fred Flintstone's plane, and found an opportunity to talk with me in private. Fred had near a thousand hours, and no accidents. Fred was an excellent pilot, even skilled in limited aerobatics, legal in his plane. Fred had only a student pilot certificate. If the FAA found out that he had a passenger, his flying world would collapse. Four times a year, the 4 instructors on the field signed him off for solo cross countries, good for 3 months, each in turn. I respected their judgement, and do not pile on them, you are just whacking dead men, they have all flown west.
I had no idea that Fred was not a fully qualified and licensed pilot, and his two flights that day were as near perfectly done as I could have noticed. His taildragger touchdowns were as light a a feather
Fred would have been fine in the '20s, or even the '30's, but todays regulations kept him from being legal. I would guess that in the '20's, he could have been a successful instructor.
Where does a real pilot of his skills fit in 1980's, or today's flying? Drivers license for a medical would not work for him, no 3rd class plus PPL.
Remember also, this was half a century ago.
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