Pretty uncomfortable experience today...
05-28-2009 | 01:41 AM
#101
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From: No City,
RE: Pretty uncomfortable experience today...
ORIGINAL: PilotFighter
In aviation, its easy to be lead down the primrose path to destruction. By sharing his story here with us, Garcfield has alerted many pilots of the potential consequences of assuming the responsibility of helping another pilot.And by doing so, he has yeilded a net good for the RC community by educated his piers.
The various responses voiced in this forum are directly related the speakers' experience level. Newbies see the situation one way.Instructors see thattheir duty is to save the airplane, always, without fail. And so they see the situation another way. How many instructors have promised their students thattheir airplaneswould not be crashed ? I know I have. I meant it to. Can a newbie conceive of makingsuch a promise? Can an expereinced instructor conceive watching a students' plane crashand not helping ?
So what if you aren't a newbie. And you aren't yet at the level where you shouldoffer instruction ? Lets say you are in between.
Ithink Clint Eastwood saidit best, " a man has got to know his limitations" .
Lets make something completely clear: If you offer to "watch" someone , you are offering to save their plane if it is needed. If this is beyond your capability, then don't offer to do it. And if asked to do it, say that you are unable. (Unless this is something you are comfortable doing.)
I think Garcfield just found himself in a situation that he didn't entirely understand his responsibilites at the time. He probably wasn't the first. He probably won't be the last. But lets ALL learn his lesson. A promise to "watch" is a promise to save.
In aviation, its easy to be lead down the primrose path to destruction. By sharing his story here with us, Garcfield has alerted many pilots of the potential consequences of assuming the responsibility of helping another pilot.And by doing so, he has yeilded a net good for the RC community by educated his piers.
The various responses voiced in this forum are directly related the speakers' experience level. Newbies see the situation one way.Instructors see thattheir duty is to save the airplane, always, without fail. And so they see the situation another way. How many instructors have promised their students thattheir airplaneswould not be crashed ? I know I have. I meant it to. Can a newbie conceive of makingsuch a promise? Can an expereinced instructor conceive watching a students' plane crashand not helping ?
So what if you aren't a newbie. And you aren't yet at the level where you shouldoffer instruction ? Lets say you are in between.
Ithink Clint Eastwood saidit best, " a man has got to know his limitations" .
Lets make something completely clear: If you offer to "watch" someone , you are offering to save their plane if it is needed. If this is beyond your capability, then don't offer to do it. And if asked to do it, say that you are unable. (Unless this is something you are comfortable doing.)
I think Garcfield just found himself in a situation that he didn't entirely understand his responsibilites at the time. He probably wasn't the first. He probably won't be the last. But lets ALL learn his lesson. A promise to "watch" is a promise to save.
Over the course of time I think Garcfields perspective will shift regarding those events. It's a really tough learning experience, but like tough things that happen to people, events such as this are a good way to grow by analyzing what really happened and facing the gut reaction we have to events we are involved in without looking for rationalizations. I don't judge Garcfield by thinking he was simply looking for rationalization by seeking the opinion and support of the officers of his club, or posting here. Quite the contrary. It was an unsettling experience, as it would be for anyone with a relatively brief association with the hobby.
And by the way Garcfield, I'm not commenting on how you handled this, but let's just say I've done things a million times more clueless than the events you described here. Just keep yourself open to looking at this from different perspectives as you move forward.
05-28-2009 | 06:45 AM
#102
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RE: Pretty uncomfortable experience today...
Yep. It really is just another learning experience, another step in the life of an RC'er. Just like anything else in life, we look at how something turned out and make a private resolution to do what it takes to make sure that doesn't happen that way again.</p>
For some of us that might be to gain more instruction knowledge, for some of us it might be to become resolute on saying "NO, I'm not equipped for that task!". </p>
Either way is good, especially when you remember what Clint Eastwood said! Actually I think it was one of the characters he played that said it, but he's so cool you just have to say "what's the diff?".</p>
Jim </p>
05-28-2009 | 03:03 PM
#103
RE: Pretty uncomfortable experience today...
This could also be a learning point for someone asking for help. Make sure you don't put someone on a spot that they aren't comfortable with, and if you do ~~ expect what you get. </p>
I try to help just about anyone I can but I also let them know that it's their plane, their responsibility. ENJOY !!! RED </p>
05-28-2009 | 11:44 PM
#104
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From: Rowlett,
TX
RE: Pretty uncomfortable experience today...
I am surprised that so many people feel like gaRCfield bears the responsibility in this crash. Any time passing the transmitter back and forth is required there is great risk of a crash. In my opinion gaRCfield bears no responsibility, he gave the plane to the man in a trimmed condition at high altitude. The key part of this is, the plane owner had successfully soloed, its not like he was a raw beginner.</p>
In hindsight gaRCfield would certainly choose a different route, but at the time hindsight was not available.</p>
The learning experience is that gaRCfield will be very hesitant to fly and trim another person's plane and the other gentleman now knows he is not ready to fly alone. Its unfortunate that this has happened but at some point who ever owns the plane has to be responsible for their own actions. When I was learning it was clearly stated that the instructors would do their very best not to allow the plane to crash, but in the event that it did the instructors were not responsible for replacing or repairing the plane. I never even thought to question this arrangement, it seemed (and still does) to be very reasonable. Asking a random person at the field for help does not transfer responsibility for not crashing to that person.</p>
