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Posted

I realize this topic has been discussed in the past. However, when in comes to safety, I don't think we can over consider the topic.

Just returned from the MAPA PPP in Denver (June 10-12 2016). It was the first of these courses I've attended. It was money well spent. No, dollar for dollar, it was the best money i've spent on recurrent training. The course includes 1.5 days of ground school which coverers the basics you would expect in a bi-annual flight review course. The nice part is the teaching is done through a Mooney looking glass. You are provided a "Training Manuel" that is 11 chapters long and about an inch thick. In a way, it is an extension of your POH. Maintenance tips were provided for those who perform allowed up-keep of their bird. I was graciously provided the power point slides of each talk on a thumb drive I provided. The slides are good but the discussion that takes place between the professional presenter and knowledgable attendees is priceless. You will not get this kind of experience home study or by one-on-one training. Inserted during the ground school is the opportunity to fly with a seasoned trainer with ample Mooney experience. One instructor was assigned to two attendees. Bring an empty credit card to purchase plenty of fuel. The instructors spend as much time as needed to get you up to speed. Night flying was available if you wished to obtain comfort and currency. If you are instrument rated (I believe all should be) you will complete your Instrument Proficiency Check as well. If you bring questions, concerns and experiences, you will be welcomed. The atmosphere was conducive to honest, open and constructive learning. For those of us who are concerned with safety-and who isn't-this course meets the mark and should be a serious consideration for the Mooney community. The folks at the MAPA Safety Foundation are the real deal.

In regards to the recent tragedy of one of our fellow aviators (and family) and the desire to improve safety.......As we share our personal mistakes and experiences (without fear of criticism) we all benefit. Who amongst us has not done something wrong or less than perfect that could have easily ended in a mishap? We should see no hands raised to this question. The truth is 100% of us have made mistakes. It profits us little if we don't learn from the mistake and share our experience with others. If you don't already know, our "ego" or feeling "macho" is the #1 element that leads to errors and then fatalities. There is SO much experience embodied in the individuals on this site. It would be a shame if egos and forum criticism discouraged others from sharing their experiences. Although everyone may not agree on a particular issue, the opinions may be of value to someone. I know I appreciate the constructive thoughts of others that I then consider the potential application to my own situation.

Thanks to all who spend their precious and valuable time helping me.

  • Like 8
Posted

I agree, that is a great course and the instructors are very good, very Mooney knowledgeable.  I have flown with five of them, and learned something from each.

Posted
1 hour ago, Kris_Adams said:

I need to get signed up for one of these.

 

it's time well spent. I highly recommend it, especially to newly-transitioning pilots. I learned a lot!

  • Like 1
Posted

Proficiency vs safety.   As a newer pilot and a newer mooney owner....  I think it took me about 9 months of flying the Mooney to make it "routine ops"   I have about 100 hours for the first year of flying the Mooney.   Someday I catch myself doing dumb things, but being able to recognize them and correct them leads to proficiency.   If you are proficient are you safe? They say that if you can ride a motorcycle two years on the street then you will probably survive.  I wonder what the time frame piloting and Mooneys would be?  Could a person proficiency be graded?

Posted
38 minutes ago, Yetti said:

Proficiency vs safety.   As a newer pilot and a newer mooney owner....  I think it took me about 9 months of flying the Mooney to make it "routine ops"   I have about 100 hours for the first year of flying the Mooney.   Someday I catch myself doing dumb things, but being able to recognize them and correct them leads to proficiency.   If you are proficient are you safe? They say that if you can ride a motorcycle two years on the street then you will probably survive.  I wonder what the time frame piloting and Mooneys would be?  Could a person proficiency be graded?

I have more than 2500 hours in M20Es. For folks like me it is not so much becoming proficient as it is keeping those skills and safe procedures from getting rusty and keeping up with changes in our operating environment. 

  • Like 1
Posted

There is a study out there from Purdue University - The Efficacy of Type Club Safety -  strongly suggesting a correlation between membership in aircraft type clubs  and a low accident rate. One can certainly hypothesize a number of reasons for that since there are other similar correlations to FAA WINGS activities, but the take-away I get is a simple one that the New Age Gurus talk about all the time: What you think about expands. Pilots who get involved in the activities, whether flight or ground, that are set up or supported by these kinds of groups get into a safety mentality or safety culture. The have both a bent toward wanting safety information and good access to it.

That does not mean I think it is necessary to do sponsored type-specific training or join a specific type club to be a safe pilot. But it definitively is one way to get to that place.

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

So here is something I have never really seen.  Would there be a self evaluation for safety/proficiency?   I guess one could use the PTS.  With the spate of accidents,  did these pilots know they were unsafe or starting the accident chain?

Edited by Yetti
Posted

Does membership in a club have the same effect as membership in MooneySpace?

Finding a misunderstanding through conversation is better than finding it out on your own while flying...

Best regards,

-a-

Posted
4 hours ago, Yetti said:

So here is something I have never really seen.  Would there be a self evaluation for safety/proficiency?   I guess one could use the PTS.  With the spate of accidents,  did these pilots know they were unsafe or starting the accident chain?

NBAA highly recommends a self-debrief after every flight. They actually have a sample form for it, but it can be as simple as a small notepad you carry. You do it right away after landing, tying down and, of course, peeing. What you did well and why; what you did wrong and how to correct it. 

You do have to recognize things as "wrong" but I think most pilots do. We also tend to quick forget, which is the purpose of writing it down.

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