Please tell me where I am wrong

Richard

Richard

Final Approach
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Ack...city life
The emphasis is on "where I am wrong".

Case scenario: pilot taxis through Restricted Access box painted on ramp (for 121 carrier operations) shortly after receiving memo from aprt mgr about same while 121 aircraft is physically present.

Same pilot aborts take off "while engine was producing full take off power" because he cannot lift off from ground effect at 6,500 DA. To avoid the runway over run he side loads the gear to make the last taxiway resulting in flatspotting of two almost new main tires. This is the 2nd pair in less than 2 months for him. He tells me, "I turned sideways to maximize aerodynamic braking" as reason why there are thick skid marks at the departure end of the runway.

Same pilot taxis over tie-down cables (where cables are doubled through thimbles at the cable ends). Same pilot has close call with fuel truck (has to make sudden stop with pax to avoid stationary fuel truck).


As I attempted to bring my concerns (confidentially) of anti-authority behavior to said pilot I was met with "so what, you're a dork" attitude.

Please advise.
 
Richard said:
The emphasis is on "where I am wrong".

Case scenario: pilot taxis through Restricted Access box painted on ramp (for 121 carrier operations) shortly after receiving memo from aprt mgr about same while 121 aircraft is physically present.

Same pilot aborts take off "while engine was producing full take off power" because he cannot lift off from ground effect at 6,500 DA. To avoid the runway over run he side loads the gear to make the last taxiway resulting in flatspotting of two almost new main tires. This is the 2nd pair in less than 2 months for him. He tells me, "I turned sideways to maximize aerodynamic braking" as reason why there are thick skid marks at the departure end of the runway.

Same pilot taxis over tie-down cables (where cables are doubled through thimbles at the cable ends). Same pilot has close call with fuel truck (has to make sudden stop with pax to avoid stationary fuel truck).


As I attempted to bring my concerns (confidentially) of anti-authority behavior to said pilot I was met with "so what, you're a dork" attitude.

Please advise.
Click to expand...

Well....are you a dork? :dunno:

He seems to have gone out of his way to prove that he doesn't care about the rules...it's only a matter of time before he proves his disregard for other people's lives. Chances are, unless you're wearing a suit with a badge marked "FAA," you're probably not going to be able to impress anything upon someone like this. And even if you fit that description, you probably still couldn't stop a person like this from flying (and doing something stupid) if they really want to. And Darwin would probably argue that he really wants to.

Bottom line...if he's dangerous, and won't take your advice...take your concerns farther up the aviation food chain.
 
Richard said:
As I attempted to bring my concerns (confidentially) of anti-authority behavior to said pilot I was met with "so what, you're a dork" attitude.

Please advise.
Click to expand...
I have met you. You are a dork. But so what, so am I! It is a pretty big club ;)


Seriously though. Is this with a rental plane? If so a talk with the planes owner/FBO that rents it to him may be in order.
 
I'd take the concerns up the ladder. It sounds like he needs a smack upside the head. If he owns the plane, it'll be more difficult because until he breaks the rules enough to cause attention (probably by suffering some sort of accident) he probably won't get any investigation and reprimand from the FAA. As Scott stated, though, if it's a rental, then surely the owner would be interested in this. After all, buying tires ain't cheap.

Good luck... sounds like someone who needs a significant attitude adjustment.
 
I guess my question is "who are you in relation to him and the airplane?"

Is this a club plane? Are you in the club? A rental? Do you work for the FBO? His plane? You're a concerned fellow pilot?

When deciding "appropriateness" or "wrongness", a lot depends on context. :)
 
What Tom said - a lot more context is needed.

If this is an Eastern Region Pilot, and you DO want to bring it to the attention of the FAA, send me a PM - I'm a FAASTeam rep and I can at least find out in a nice anonymous way who does counselling and such for your airport or one nearby.
 
Richard said:
As I attempted to bring my concerns (confidentially) of anti-authority behavior to said pilot I was met with "so what, you're a dork" attitude.
Click to expand...

Richard,

It seems to me that his response was just further evidence of the anti-authority attitude, even though it sounds like you tried to speak to him as a fellow pilot rather than an authority.

We see it here on the forums, people do not want others to question their actions as pilots (and even students it seems). We have two choices as I see it. We can try to help and expect attitude in return, but hopefully they will think about it later. Or we can shake our heads, say nothing and pray that it doesn't come back to bite them or us.

Joe
 
Richard said:
The emphasis is on "where I am wrong".

Please advise.
Click to expand...

You didn't shoot him, that's where you went wrong. You can claim "It wasn't murder, it was assisted suicide. He was gonna kill himself, I was just saving the airplane...."
 
First and foremost, it is best not to raise such issues with a pilot you don't know unless you have some sort of authority, such as designation as an FAA Safety Team Rep. As you discovered, pilots who don't do well with rules are not going to accept criticism (however polite) from someone without any perceived authority to make such criticism.

Second, in such cases, it's best to contact someone who does have that authority, like a pilot you know the pilot concerned knows and respects, an FAA Safety Team Rep, airport management, etc. If that doesn't work, tell the FSDO and let them deal with it -- the pilot cannot brush them off.

Finally, don't take this harshly -- if we don't police our community, we will all suffer for it. Just take away from this the knowledge that there are better ways to handle such situations than the way you chose, and move on.
 
Thank you for the responses. I went to him to see if we could discuss before bringing in the authorities. Friendly and casual, peer to peer was my intent. I desire to instill some confidence between the pilots since we're all in the same boat, in a manner of speaking. There is a reluctance to admit a weakness in pilot skills. This allows one to 'play to their weakness' because they don't fully address that deficiency. My intent has been to create an environment where it is seen to be beneficial to the individual and the 'team' to confess, thereby improve.

This is a coworker who I met a bit more than one month ago. On each flight or aircraft movement I mentioned, there were paying pax aboard.

The FSDO will be informed. The higher up in the company has taken a 'hands off' approach to the matter. This man is filling in until a permanent chief pilot can be hired on.
 
Henning said:
You didn't shoot him, that's where you went wrong. You can claim "It wasn't murder, it was assisted suicide. He was gonna kill himself, I was just saving the airplane...."
Click to expand...
That is as funny as it is a viable option. I'm still laughing....
 
Richard said:
Thank you for the responses. I went to him to see if we could discuss before bringing in the authorities. Friendly and casual, peer to peer was my intent. I desire to instill some confidence between the pilots since we're all in the same boat, in a manner of speaking. There is a reluctance to admit a weakness in pilot skills. This allows one to 'play to their weakness' because they don't fully address that deficiency. My intent has been to create an environment where it is seen to be beneficial to the individual and the 'team' to confess, thereby improve.

This is a coworker who I met a bit more than one month ago. On each flight or aircraft movement I mentioned, there were paying pax aboard.

The FSDO will be informed. The higher up in the company has taken a 'hands off' approach to the matter. This man is filling in until a permanent chief pilot can be hired on.
Click to expand...

Wow (on two levels). First, you and the company should know who your ops inspector is - that's the person to talk to.

Second - It'll be likely that this will have repercussions both for the pilot, and for his management team, especially if you report that they've taken a "hands-off" approach. Your motives in reporting this will certainly be questioned - be prepared for it, and be prepared for the potential of unhappy times in your company.

I'm not questioning your motives, or advising you to ignore the issue. I will advise you to take a long look in the mirror and be sure you acknowledge all the factors.
 
TMetzinger said:
Wow (on two levels). First, you and the company should know who your ops inspector is - that's the person to talk to.

Second - It'll be likely that this will have repercussions both for the pilot, and for his management team, especially if you report that they've taken a "hands-off" approach. Your motives in reporting this will certainly be questioned - be prepared for it, and be prepared for the potential of unhappy times in your company.

I'm not questioning your motives, or advising you to ignore the issue. I will advise you to take a long look in the mirror and be sure you acknowledge all the factors.
Click to expand...

Yep -- the FAA is like the IRS -- once they start digging....:hairraise:
 
TMetzinger said:
Wow (on two levels). First, you and the company should know who your ops inspector is - that's the person to talk to.

Second - It'll be likely that this will have repercussions both for the pilot, and for his management team, especially if you report that they've taken a "hands-off" approach. Your motives in reporting this will certainly be questioned - be prepared for it, and be prepared for the potential of unhappy times in your company.

I'm not questioning your motives, or advising you to ignore the issue. I will advise you to take a long look in the mirror and be sure you acknowledge all the factors.
Click to expand...
yeah, but that pilot is a real hazard!! I would hope that, if push comes to shove and the ops officer doesn't act on it, SOMETHING will still be done before the jerk hurts someone!

Hell, I thought it was bad when I thought it was just a nut in his own plane, all by himself! :rolleyes:
 
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