lobstaboy wrote:TopCat wrote:
Then two crusty gnarled types came in (obviously hugely experienced skygods), looked at the TAFs for a minute, and one said to the other....
"Mm, I don't really like the look of the weather, I think I'll stay on the ground today". The other one nodded, and then they left.
My friend and I looked at each other in disbelief as the weather was rarely any better. We went over the TAFs again, decided that after all we hadn't missed obvious TS or TCU, or SHRAGS, and it was going to be lovely all day. So we went flying and it was great.
I only say this as I think it's hugely important for people to ensure they have the opportunities to learn to make sound flying judgements for themselves.
Yes, a good story about having confidence in your own decision making. And yet, by implication you are criticising the other pilots for their decision.
Er no. I am absolutely implying no such thing. You might be inferring criticism, but you can't blame me for that.
People generally are far too quick to interpret something in a particular way and assume that that's how it was meant. Funny isn't it, how
it absolutely never happens they interpret it more positively than it was meant - it's always negative.
Do you know for sure their level of experience? Or what they had been planning to do? Where were they going to go? Was the weather benign for their whole route for instance?
I had no idea of any of those things, which was why our disbelief had nothing to do with them - it was about the possibility that there'd been something wrong with our (mostly my) planning. The comment on the weather was so extraordinary given what it was like outside, and what the TAFs were saying, that we genuinely thought we might have missed something.
My post above had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with criticising anyone, and everything about learning how to take responsibility for the whole judgement-forming process. Which, actually, I thought the other thread was about.
The trouble with having opportunity to learn to make judgements for yourself is that if you get it wrong you may be dead. I don't think any of us should ignore advice that is properly explained and comes from a reliable source - that way you learn by being able to say "Oooh that's nasty, I'm glad I was warned about that, that's a good learning experience," rather than "Oh bu99er I'm frightened, I wish someone had warned me about this."
I agree, but I don't think anyone on this thread or the other one has been suggesting anything of the sort.