I've watched this thread unfold and I guess that I'm going to be one of the few who steps up with a problem here. I feel that there is at least equal fault here. Yes, the older gentleman probably shouldn't have tried to fly without his instructor around, he's not totally at fault here</p>

</p>

GaRCfield also has fault here as he stepped up to offer his help to this gentleman. Because of this the pilot thought he had any help that would have been needed if he got into trouble and therefore felt safe flying his plane. Had Joe not stepped up and said he would help the pilot probably wouldn't have flown. Yes I know that I sound a bit harsh, but this is the responsibility that one takes on when they step up to help others. Whether it be at the field in a situation like this, or here online, there is going to be some consequences for offering help that turns bad. Almost any instructor that teaches students faces the same situation. If I am teaching somebody on a buddy box and I fail to take control back from the student and save his plane then I am at fault for the crash. It's just part of being an instructor. I know there will be those out there that are going to say that the instructor can't save them all, to which I would say that the instructor should be able to save 99.99999% of students (not counting equipment failure). How can I say this? Because good instructors should never let the student get into a situation where he can't recover the plane for them. When with a newer student, or one they haven't flown with before, the instructor will take back control of the plane at the very first hint of trouble, regardless of the fact that the student may have been able to recover the plane. It's much easier to laugh about taking control too soon when you are back in the pits than to be out picking up plane parts because you didn't take it back and it crashed. As the instructor learns what the student is capable of he can allow him more time to recover the plane before he takes back control. This is the very basis of how most instructors teach a student. And if the student decides that they are going to just fly they way they want regardless of what the instructor says, well that's easy. He just lands their plane and hands them the radio back and tell them they are on their own. If Joe had tried to take the radio from this guy to save the plane and he turned and wouldn't let him have the plane Joe would have been clear of responsibility in this situation because he did try (in fact, I won't instruct by passing the radio anymore for exactly this reason).</p>

Is it bad because somebody doesn't have the skill to teach or instruct? Not at all. It's not the thing that everybody can do. It can be very stressful for the instructor having the responsibility for the student, his equipment, and the safety of the public on his shoulders. And not all can handle it. In fact, some of the best pilots out there make the worst instructors. So skills on the sticks does not mean skills in instructing.</p>

Ken</p>