Del Rio is a hard airport to operate into even in good weather. Especially coming in from the south. Short runway, poor lighting and non precision approaches. A part time military approach control. While they are reasonably good for the most part, they are more oriented to dealing with the military trainers at the AFB.
It is a favorite airport for the freighters and the like because of cheap fuel and laid back customs.
While the regs MAY be tightened up in the upcoming review of Part 135, I do not expect it to be tightened to the degree that may on this thread would like to see or expect. I have seen this before. This part of the industry is way too varied to have regulations as set in stone as Part 121 is. In fact the current changes to Part 135 have loosened some of the requirements.
While training does enhance safety to a large degree, training is not a substute for good judgement and experience. Both of these can be learned, but they take time. Unfortunately the sterile enviroment of the large training academies has taken a great deal way from the young pilots of today. They are not allowed to walk around the shop and watch the mechanics at work or ask them questions. They get school procedures and answers to all the problems. They are very restricted in what they do during the lessons and are not allowed to vary too far for the path. The lawyers and accountants have taken over the management of pilot training and these young pilots are being refused the opportunity to fill their individual bag of tricks up. These bags of tricks are lessons that we as pilots have learned over the years, generally due to some mistake we made and survived. Usually early in our career and usually a simple mistake. Sometimes they were mistakes our insturctors allowed us to make and used as a training tool. Something that seems to have become unacceptable behavior on the part of an instructor these days.
It is a favorite airport for the freighters and the like because of cheap fuel and laid back customs.
While the regs MAY be tightened up in the upcoming review of Part 135, I do not expect it to be tightened to the degree that may on this thread would like to see or expect. I have seen this before. This part of the industry is way too varied to have regulations as set in stone as Part 121 is. In fact the current changes to Part 135 have loosened some of the requirements.
While training does enhance safety to a large degree, training is not a substute for good judgement and experience. Both of these can be learned, but they take time. Unfortunately the sterile enviroment of the large training academies has taken a great deal way from the young pilots of today. They are not allowed to walk around the shop and watch the mechanics at work or ask them questions. They get school procedures and answers to all the problems. They are very restricted in what they do during the lessons and are not allowed to vary too far for the path. The lawyers and accountants have taken over the management of pilot training and these young pilots are being refused the opportunity to fill their individual bag of tricks up. These bags of tricks are lessons that we as pilots have learned over the years, generally due to some mistake we made and survived. Usually early in our career and usually a simple mistake. Sometimes they were mistakes our insturctors allowed us to make and used as a training tool. Something that seems to have become unacceptable behavior on the part of an instructor these days.
