JCJ said:
AOPA Pilot has a great article this month on the DC ADIZ bust a few months ago - good read
I read the article; pretty interesting. The student pilot seems to be pointing the finger at the older guy. He (the student) seems to be mostly guilty of not backing out when the first warning signs popped up (before ever leaving the ground!)..
The older guy, however, seems to be yet another example of "Mr. Magoo goes flying". I don't know him, but based on the events and article he seems to be one of those guys who are every CFI and FBO's nightmare. These guys (and I've seen a few) show up with a valid Pilot Certificate, but typically haven't flown in quite a while. They decide to "get back into it", and expect a quickie checkout and off they go. Once you start working with the guy, however, you realize he is basically clueless as to FARs, airspace, flight planning, performance, obtaining weather etc. etc. He has a rudimentary knowledge of emergency procedures ("What would you do if you had an engine failure enroute?" " Weell, I'd find me a big field and put it down." ............. "Anything else?" ....... (Puzzled look) ....."Well,... trim it, I guess."). They can takeoff, somehow find their way around (locally at least), and get it back on the ground. They somehow managed to get signed off by an instructor and pass a checkride at some point, probably by an examiner just looking to make money and not turn applicants away. Then there are the types who've been flying all along out of the field behind the house, but haven't had a BFR in 15 years of flying,( and often not a medical during that time either). Suddenly, they want a checkout because their "old Bird" gaveup the dust and they can't afford an engine overhaul, and .... you probably can guess at the rest.
I'm all for freedom of people to fly without overbearing regulation, but in this day and age there can be no tolerance for people to set out on a flight, especially cross-country without the proper knowledge and awareness of what they are doing. One might have been able to muddle through and get by in the "old days", but today there is just no excuse.