There is something I don’t understand about the new pilots who are learning to fly in these modern times. Many are all for flying, but they must have the radio to do it. And GPS. They can’t go anywhere without their technologies.
I don’t know how many times I have talked with a new student pilot about flying and asked, “Why do you fly?”
“Oh, I just love the freedom,” they respond.
“You do?” I ask. “Then why do you give up your freedom to an air traffic controller?”
“What do you mean? You have to talk on the radios to be safe.”
Deep down inside, I want to laugh…and cry. I know this new pilot is only reflecting and echoing the sentiments of his training, and I feel sorry for him. While he enjoys the “freedom” of flying, he has no clue as to what is real freedom.
I am willing to bet he has never shown up alone at the airport early in the morning just before the sun broke the horizon, while the dew was still thick and wet on the ground. He has missed the joy of pre-flighting, starting, and taxiing out to takeoff into a glorious sunrise. He may never have experienced flying through the smoothest air God ever created. I am sure he has never enjoyed the solitude of flying truly alone, of flying however high or low he desired, or flying whichever direction he chose – on a lark – just to be flying.
There is a certain delight in flying. The whole point in flying is to separate yourself from the earth, to traverse freely at your slightest whim. Today, many new student pilots believe you have to talk to ATC in order to fly “correctly” or “safely.” Flight instructors are teaching these students you can only be safe when talking with someone on the ground. In essence, pilots today are giving up their freedom to ATC, who then tells them how fast, which direction, and how high they might fly. Doesn’t sound too free, does it?
Often a new pilot will retort ATC keeps them clear of other traffic. Again, I go through the laughing-crying emotion. I want to scream, “Get your head up and out of the instrument panel and use your eyeballs to keep yourself clear of other airplanes! That’s your job, not ATC’s!” Then I think back on my own career and a few memorable near misses come to mind. Out of seven, ATC was involved in six of those events. In other words, ATC was the direct link which almost caused the collisions. Only one near miss occurred without the help of an air traffic controller.
Unfortunately, many of the nation’s flight instructors today are teaching reliance on technology and the system instead of self-reliance. They need to focus on the basics and teach their students how to fly, how to think for themselves, and how to survive in the aeronautical environment without depending on voices on the other side of a radio frequency.
If the instructors do that, and their students become very well qualified pilots, then maybe the voices on the other side of the radio can help make a safe pilot a little safer.
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© 2010 J. Clark
My CFI stressed looking 90% outside and 10% inside to verify what you see outside. I have to admit the first time I took my plane solo to the practice area it was strange not having someone telling me what to do. I had spent so much time in the pattern trying to learn how land the plane that I was constantly reporting my mid-field downwind and talking to ATC. I was thankful for the experience of talking to the tower so I am not intimidated when I fly into a towered airport.
I do love just flying and going where I want to go and turning around to take another look at something I see on the ground to be interesting. I love having a unique option other than driving to get somewhere. The bird’s eye view of things is my favorite.
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