Category Archives: Pilot Error

Pilot Error in Fact and Fiction — The Presentation in Brief

If the title of this post is black, or you are viewing the fighter pilot header, click on the title to view the featured image header and continue reading. As documented in previous posts in the Pilot Error “logbook,” I’ve given the presentation titled, “Pilot Error in Fact and Fiction” to a variety of groups since the first invitation to be a guest speaker for the UT LAMP (Leaning Activities for Mature People) Lecture and Seminar Program as a part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the Thompson Conference Center on the UT-Austin campus. Other speaking venues have included: … Continue reading

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Presentation to EAA Chapter 187

If the title of this post is black, click on it to view the featured-image header and continue reading. Ron Panton of Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 187 is a member of LAMP (Learning Activities for Mature Persons), a lecture and seminar series at the Osher Lifelong Learning Center on the UT-Austin campus. He didn’t attend my “Pilot Error in Fact and Fiction” presentation there on January 24, 2013, but he read the summary and thought the Chapter might be interested in hearing it at one of their monthly meetings. Ron contacted Mark Petrosky, who in coordination with the Chapter president Anthony … Continue reading

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Proof of the Presentation Pudding

If the title of this post is black, click on it to view the featured-image header and continue reading. During my recent presentation “Pilot Error in Fact and Fiction” as a part of the UT LAMP Lecture and Seminar Series, discussing the role of human performance in aircraft accidents included an example of a how a mistake by an aviation mechanic could be the primary cause. Any bolt in an airplane needs to stay put, and there are three methods used to ensure they do not loosen up. Bolts tightened to a specific torque value use safety wire to apply … Continue reading

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Photographic Evidence at UT LAMP

If the title of this post is black, click on it to view the featured-image header and continue reading. Waiting for Rita to ring the little brass bell Ann sells the first book to an eager customer Greeting customers The “Silver Fox” signs Tosh and Ann with Elaine Shelton, UT LAMP Curriculum Director for the Business/Lifestyles Track

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UT LAMP Presentation After-Action Report

If the title of the is post is black, click on it to view the featured-image header and continue reading. When I first heard about UT LAMP (Learning Activities for Mature People), two facts about the program seemed a little hard to believe. First, that when invited to be a guest speaker, the earliest open lecture slot was 10 months in the future. Second, that membership is capped at 500, and at a yearly fee of $195, there’s a waiting list of prospective members who seek an invitation to join. As of Thursday, January 27, 2013, when I presented “Pilot … Continue reading

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Have Microphone – Will Travel

If the title of this post is in black, click on it to view the featured image header and continue reading. Two older posts in the Pilot Error Logbook address the topic of a PowerPoint presentation titled “Pilot Error in Fact and Fiction” that I created after being invited to be a guest speaker at the Lakeway Men’s Breakfast Club (LMBC) in March, 2012: “Have Presentation – Will Travel” on 03/19, and “Presentation Aftermath” on 04/22. As mentioned in the second of those posts, I received a subsequent invitation to give the presentation as part of the UT LAMP (Learning … Continue reading

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What Pilot Error Means to Me by Nick Phillips

There’s probably no more than a handful of my personal friends and acquaintances who know I lost my dad in an airplane crash when I was seven. I mean, why would they? It’s not like I’m going to begin casual conversations with that tragic bit of personal history. He was at the controls when it happened. The NTSB called it pilot error. Not a comforting term, especially for a kid who worshiped his father. I’m supposed to accept that my hero made the mistake that killed him? To heck with that. It’s been almost thirty years and I still can’t … Continue reading

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Pilot Error – Chapter One

Wilson didn’t want to kill the guard. That would leave a mess behind. Someone might get curious, nose around, ask questions. No, the job tonight required stealth. He loved that word. And the synonyms, like furtiveness. That just sounded right, especially when whispered. It slid off the tongue. He’d prolong the “s” and think of himself as a viper in the night, coiled like a spring, silent and deadly. From his hiding place near the edge of the dark, woody greenbelt, he peered through the airport perimeter chain-link fence at the hangar thirty yards away. Raindrops slapped on the hood … Continue reading

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Presentation Aftermath

This blog and its companion have been sitting idle for the past month due to a combination of factors, all of which vie for my attention on a daily basis. Of special significance to me are the writing of a non-fiction series about my personal journey (so far) as a writer, soon to be followed by a companion series on aviating, and the demands of maintaining two sport aviation airplanes. Even more questionable in terms of logic than owning two airplanes is allowing the required annual condition inspections to lapse so that neither one is legal to fly. The inspections … Continue reading

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Have Presentation – Will Travel

A few years ago, I was offered the opportunity to participate in Senior Day at Westlake High School by giving a presentation on careers in aviation. That’s like asking a financial adviser about investment opportunities. Talk about flying for bucks to a captive audience? When and where? During my career in the Air Force, fourteen years as an instructor pilot and weapons and tactics officer made me very comfortable with public speaking. But the last time I stood in front of a crowd, the state of the art in AV equipment consisted of a Kodak Carousel slide projector and an … Continue reading

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