CAP Pilot Struggles to Recite ATC Instructions!

[etodd]

Who gave this CAP pilot his last F5?

[TheSkyHornet]

I hit the 2:30 mark, blurted an obscenity at the computer, and had to pause. This is the point where ATC contacts Airport Ops and asks them to meet the aircraft to make sure the PIC is okay.

3:23 is where I paused again and needed a reflection on life.

5:07 is me having a deep sigh and wishing that ATC had more authority to deny taxi and departure because it's only going to get worse once this PIC is airborne.


We've all had bad days when it comes to flying. I hope that some lessons to be learned are coming from this.

[etodd]

An absolute nightmare for CAP marketing. This video is on nearly every social media outlet that has anything to do with aviation. Dozens if not more. And every person that doesn't like CAP for whatever reason is burning up their keyboard with their opinions. Guaranteed that AF personnel that oversee us have seen this. You can bet lots of communications from there, through Nat'l, Region, Wing and down to this Squadron are happening now.

My hope is that this fellow was having some sort of health episode that sprang up suddenly and he is getting help for it now.  Any other explanation might lead to changes in the Regs.

[Eclipse]

You can bet lots of communications from there, through Nat'l, Region, Wing and down to this Squadron are happening now.

Doubtful.  One goober is a blip, internally or externally.

There's 10 pilots for every CAP goober that are worse, CAP is just more visible and
bored people like to make hay.

There is no more "Grandmas on the porch" then CAP pilots.

[FlyingPig]

As a Sq CC in CA, I revoked a pilot's flying privileges after an event like this.  I was flying and overheard it air to air with ATC, then witnessed him turn final at about 1500' and essentially nosedive to the runway at a towered airport.  The pilot was in his late 70s.  He struggled every time he flew and we finally needed to call it.   It was a sad event to have to sit him down and explain the concerns.  I offered him the chance to go up with a CAP Check Pilot for a recheck and offered that the Sq would pay for it, but he declined.  He left the meeting and never came back.

[Shuman 14]

Forgive my ignorance, but I don't see (hear) the unprofessional language, and I've stumbled reading back information on the radio myself, was that really that bad that this pilot's flying privileges need to be pull?

[etodd]

Forgive my ignorance, but I don't see (hear) the unprofessional language, and I've stumbled reading back information on the radio myself, was that really that bad that this pilot's flying privileges need to be pull?

Its not a "professional language" issue. Its that he simply could not follow ATC instructions when being told multiple times. He should not have been in the plane that day.

[coudano]

Not to excuse anything here, because PR is PR.

I think there is a very good possibility for a CAP pilot to conduct a form 5, and maybe several conseuctive form 5's, at non-towered airports.  It is not difficult to imagine that over time, in such cases, that the 'tower communication' part of the ACS gets very loosely verbally discussed, and not actually practiced or graded.  Obviously, this causes problems when small town pilot comes to fly an airplane out of big city airport.

This is possibly just as big of a deal for a student pilot, let's say for example one of our cadets, participating in the wings program.  If a student learned at a non-towered airport and flew over for a VFR touch and go at a tower during training, all of the clearance and ground stuff at a busy tower can be overwhelming particularly at first.

Still on the radio with a CAP callsign, representing all of us.

Gonna solve that problem by taking the keys away from grandpa?
Or is there a better way to fix an identified training deficiency?

[FlyingPig]

I didn't always fly for a living.  Everyone starts with a first lesson.  That being said, I've flown now for a living for about 16 years to include flight instruction in airplanes and helicopters.  I really don't think I've ever heard a readback from a pilot or even a student pilot that sounded that lost and confused.  This interaction is far beyond someone having a bad day.

[ML07]

I didn't always fly for a living.  Everyone starts with a first lesson.  That being said, I've flown now for a living for about 16 years to include flight instruction in airplanes and helicopters.  I really don't think I've ever heard a readback from a pilot or even a student pilot that sounded that lost and confused.  This interaction is far beyond someone having a bad day.

All we can do is wish this pilot our best.

[FlyingPig]

Wishing our best isn't a training plan. Thats a useless social media hashtag that doesn't mean anything in real life. As a professional pilot you seek out training for short comings. that's one of the reasons pilots join CAP. In CAP or any other type of professional organization, you have check pilots who maintain a standard through recurrent training, check rides and retraining.  He's not dying of a terminal illness, he doesn't need thoughts and prayers, he needs training to insure this doesn't happen again, or to determine if his flying privileges need to be looked at.  For all I know, he could have had a CFI sitting next to him monitoring and instructing.  I'm inclined to think he didn't.  It's one thing to let your student fail and learn, but not to the point of embarrassment or to the point of delaying ATC.
As a Sq Commander, I've sadly had to sit down with an older pilot who was very experienced, but whose age and years away from flying prevented him from coming back into CAP with the intent of flying our planes.  I don't know this pilot or his situation but I'm hoping someone addressed it.  If anything, to determine that he just had a bad morning. But the issue is the instructions he was being given were about as simple as it gets and he was confused about his call sign, and clearly didn't have any situational awareness about what he was expected to do.  If your brain can't process reading back a clearance, your brain isn't going to have the ability to process performing that clearance at 100kts.   

[etodd]

I don't know this pilot or his situation but I'm hoping someone addressed it. 

We'll its all over social media, just not here, so yes, you can bet he is getting an earful from everyone he knows, inside and outside of CAP. I've seen it on several different Facebook aviation groups, even TikTok, and more.

[Fubar]

According to emails that were circulating at the time, someone took the callsign and date & time of the video and went hunting through WIMRS. The pilot was identified and he was a CAP instructor pilot & CAP check pilot.

[SarDragon]

On that note, I think we will terminate this discussion, before it gets really messy. PM me if you think there's a really good reason to open it back up.

Click.