jugement at 500 hrs vs 5000 hrs?

[deemee boosgkee]

From time to time I see other high time pilots preach to low timers about how, in hindsight, little breadth of knowledge and experience they had at say 300 to 1000 hrs for example and how back then they "didn't know what they didn't know." Being a fairly low time pilot myself I am curious as to specific aspects of real world airmanship, judgement and decision making skills that GENERALLY aren't developed among pilots at 500 hrs even though they're stick and rudder skills are adequate, but were later learned several thousand hrs later. Give me specific situations as I am kind of curious. Thanks

 

[Horizon]

The weather doesn't care how many hours you have. Neither does the airplane's mechanical systems. We'd all like to think that we're prepared to deal with a real emergency, but untill that day happens, we just don't know how we'll truly react when our lives are at stake.

 

[FN FAL]

The weather doesn't care how many hours you have. Neither does the airplane's mechanical systems. We'd all like to think that we're prepared to deal with a real emergency, but untill that day happens, we just don't know how we'll truly react when our lives are at stake.

In other words, you're a low timer or a high timer that's flown the same hour a lot?

 

[IFollowRoads]

From time to time I see other high time pilots preach to low timers about how, in hindsight, little breadth of knowledge and experience they had at say 300 to 1000 hrs for example and how back then they "didn't know what they didn't know." Being a fairly low time pilot myself I am curious as to specific aspects of real world airmanship, judgement and decision making skills that GENERALLY aren't developed among pilots at 500 hrs even though they're stick and rudder skills are adequate, but were later learned several thousand hrs later. Give me specific situations as I am kind of curious. Thanks

I'm not a high time guy, but I can tell you that before I got my commercial ticket I hadn't dealt with any "non normals." But between 300 and 1300+ hours, I've suffered a partial engine failure in a Piper Colt but was able to return to the airport; a bird strike at night that knocked my feet off the floor, it musta been an albatross or something; lost an alternator at night in a Gutless RG; had to pump the gear down in the same Gutless RG on a different flight; lost a governor in the CASA212 and had to shut the engine down; and found some ice one night in a Cessna 206 that left me begging for lower and an airport with an ILS like, now, quicker if able.

So theres the difference. The longer you fly, the more stuff you are going to run into. You work it out and put the experience in the 'ol toolbox for later. Helps keep you from pissin yer pants when something goes wrong. Although if that 206 hadn't started shucking that ice after I passed the OM I woulda ruined the seat cushions prolly...

 

[Horizon]

In other words, you're a low timer or a high timer that's flown the same hour a lot?

Yeah...

 

[AerroMatt]

How many hours do you need to be considered "High Time"? 7000hrs and counting, and I still don't consider myself high time. I learn something on every flight, and more importantly, I realized long ago that I'll never know everything. Just try to glean something from every flight you take, and listen to the advice of the more experienced pilots you meet. That along with a dose of humility will take you a long way in your career.

 

[tracearabians]

I agree with horizon ! This scumbag I flew with out of KMEI claimed to have 13000+ hrs. Big deal ! He's at a point where he thinks he is bullet proof. Will barrel through a line of weather without ever thinking to slow the airplane. I've seen every book, coke, cans of nuts jerked out of the cabinets and his head bleeding from hitting the little rail for the sun visor. People in the back very concerned! His explanation was " I didn't see anything on the radar "! This same numbnuts told me at my interview that he liked it to be so smooth he didn't want the passengers to feel they were moving! WARP SPEED! SPEED BRAKES ARE THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING !

The weather doesn't care how many hours you have. Neither does the airplane's mechanical systems. We'd all like to think that we're prepared to deal with a real emergency, but untill that day happens, we just don't know how we'll truly react when our lives are at stake.

 

[PacoPollo]

It depends. a 500hr pilot from www.gulfstreamacademy.com will have more experience than the 5000hr ERAU Grad.

 

[AerroMatt]

It depends. a 500hr pilot from www.gulfstreamacademy.com will have more experience than the 5000hr ERAU Grad.

But will either one have any judgement? THAT'S the question!

 

[aussiefly]

It's really a question of the pilots attitude. You cna get some 10,000+ hr guys that are Aholes and think they know it all just like you can get a 500hr guy with the same attitude. They ultimately are both dangerous.

I think the quality of time is really more important. If all youve done is fly circles round the sky for 500 hrs well watch out when something serious happens. But for the guy thats seen serious weather and/or emergencies and lived to tell the tale his survivability increases.

I don't think anyone disputes that someone with 5000 hrs is `likely' a more experienced pilot than a 500hr guy but for some people it might not ring true. Someone, somewhere might have been especially lucky and never had a problem in their 5,000hrs of zapping around the pattern teaching.

IMHO it really comes down to attitude. If you think that your at the point where your high time and experienced, thats when somethings turns up to bite you in the ass. Some of the best captains admit to mistakes and still say they try to learn something new everytime they fly.

Thats my 2 cents.