Good to hear he's doing okay. He's played two of the greatest characters in film so I'm glad it's not his time. I kind of wish rich folk and celebrities would leave flying to professional pilots.
For once you have tasted flight...
If the bug isn't in you it's impossible for you to understand.
Not too mention that there is much more than just the professional pilots out there, America still has a HUGE general aviation community with thousands of private pilots tooling around in everything from almost ultra-light aircraft to restored warbirds and larger, while not considered "professionals" (by designation of their private license versus commercial and ATPL tickets) they still have to pass medicals and recurrent training.
Last edited by Bigtime; 03-07-2015 at 07:28 AM.
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He isn't some hack. He occasionally volunteers as a helicopter pilot in search and rescues.
There's full time pilots and there's enthusiasts. I don't discount that enthusiasts can be good pilots but there's a difference between the skills of someone that does it daily as a job and someone that does it as a hobby. Problem with plan crashes as depending on where they crash or how many passengers the results are usually catastrophic. Ford was lucky he crashed just after takeoff but he could have killed some golfers just the same.
There's full time pilots and there's enthusiasts. I don't discount that enthusiasts can be good pilots but there's a difference between the skills of someone that does it daily as a job and someone that does it as a hobby. Problem with plan crashes as depending on where they crash or how many passengers the results are usually catastrophic. Ford was lucky he crashed just after takeoff but he could have killed some golfers just the same.
You're out of your depth here, ask any pilot of a single engine aircraft if they would be lucky to have an engine failure right after take off. Pretty damn sure we'd all say "No thanks, give me the failure up at cruising altitude".
You also ignore a lot of the human factors that can be an issue with a pilot that does it as a daily job versus the enthusiast. Things like the brain getting conditioned to the usual thing and responding that same way even when presented with different information one time. It's the reason things like checklists and standard operating procedures are so important for both commercial pilots and private pilots alike. Yet we have seen examples in the past few years of the automation degrading the flying skills of the pro pilots (Air France over the Atlantic, Asiana at SFO). Ford flying a stick and rudder plane like the PT-22 would ensure he keeps those basic flying skills up, and at the end of the day in an emergency that's what it usually boils down to.
You're out of your depth here, ask any pilot of a single engine aircraft if they would be lucky to have an engine failure right after take off. Pretty damn sure we'd all say "No thanks, give me the failure up at cruising altitude".
You also ignore a lot of the human factors that can be an issue with a pilot that does it as a daily job versus the enthusiast. Things like the brain getting conditioned to the usual thing and responding that same way even when presented with different information one time. It's the reason things like checklists and standard operating procedures are so important for both commercial pilots and private pilots alike. Yet we have seen examples in the past few years of the automation degrading the flying skills of the pro pilots (Air France over the Atlantic, Asiana at SFO). Ford flying a stick and rudder plane like the PT-22 would ensure he keeps those basic flying skills up, and at the end of the day in an emergency that's what it usually boils down to.
You have the "bug" in your own words so anything you will say has to be taken with a grain of salt.
You have the "bug" in your own words so anything you will say has to be taken with a grain of salt.
Seriously? As a simple "hobbyist" pilot with 1000 hours of logged time everything I say comes from our training, education, and experience. We happen to have airline pilots on here too, and I'm crazy enough to think they wouldn't disagree with what I wrote, but are we to ignore them too or would the fact that they are pros be enough for you?
I still stand by my words that you are out of your depth, the very fact you think a engine failure in a single engine plane after takeoff is "lucky" speaks to that alone, regardless of me having the bug.
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Seriously? As a simple "hobbyist" pilot with 1000 hours of logged time everything I say comes from our training, education, and experience. We happen to have airline pilots on here too, and I'm crazy enough to think they wouldn't disagree with what I wrote, but are we to ignore them too or would the fact that they are pros be enough for you?
I still stand by my words that you are out of your depth, the very fact you think a engine failure in a single engine plane after takeoff is "lucky" speaks to that alone, regardless of me having the bug.
Since you are bias toward flying and we must take your opinion with a grain of salt, EE knows nothing about flying and therefore has no bias, so that makes him an expert in the field.
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A few different videos at this link - the first one is apparently his plane just before crashing on the course. It's not close up and it's on a loop - there's another like it further down. One other is where the paramedics and doc that just happened to be on the course, are working on him. And apparently audio of him informing the tower of his engine failure - quite short. There's also one that's an interview with the doc that helped him out. He's so lucky, and I'm glad he didn't die. Pardon the Mail Online link
Ford, an experienced pilot who collects vintage planes, had been instructed to land on runway 20-L at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, but mistakenly aimed for a taxiway, instead. His plane passed over the top of an American Airlines 737 carrying 110 passengers and a six-person crew.
The passenger plane, AA flight 1546, managed to depart safely for Dallas just minutes after the incident.
Ford, 74, was heard on air traffic control recordings asking, "Was that airliner meant to be underneath me?"
Air traffic controllers then informed Ford that he had landed on a taxiway rather than the runway — a violation of Federal Aviation Administration safety rules.
