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Left Seat: Tough Training Rules Can Work

Mitsubishi MU-2
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Rigorous, type-specific pilot training, such as the FAA's Special Federal Air Regulations (S-FARs) implemented for the Mitsubishi MU-2 and Robinson R22, significantly improved their safety records by addressing predictable pilot errors, even if it adds cost and qualification barriers.
  • The Gulfstream G250's unusually short landing gear was a direct design choice based on customer demand from business jet operators who preferred a "low stance" to be less conspicuous on the ramp.
  • Safe Flight Instruments has developed a new, lower-cost Angle-of-Attack (AOA) system for piston and turboprop aircraft, which utilizes existing stall-warning vanes to provide continuous alpha measurement, enhancing safety and maximizing takeoff/landing performance.
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I was talking not long ago with a relatively new pilot and Cirrus owner who also is the founder of a very successful software company. This fellow enjoys flying his airplane immensely but, like all of us, is concerned about the accident rate in piston-powered airplanes.

What frustrates this pilot is how many light-airplane accidents are blamed on pilot error. As he pointed out to me, there is no other business that could succeed if it continued to blame all serious problems on its customers. And in no other business that I can think of are the customers’ problems nearly as serious as in an airplane accident.

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