Damn, saw the same via a couple buds just now. Reminds me of Scott Crossfield's death a number of years ago. Those mundane flights can kill the most skilled and daring just the same, in the wrong circumstances. RIP.
So sad about Snort. I'll miss him. RIP, amigo.
That said, Crossfield flew through a QT in a 210!! That plane doesn't even have wing struts. Daring, maybe. I'm not sure that's precisely what I would call "mundane".
Also, just for the record... THERE. ARE. NO. MUNDANE. FLIGHTS.
Every flight must be treated with equally adequate care and attention. You know, 'cause EVERY flight involves speed, gravity, and lethal displacement from the ground. That's why we teach "habits" in aviation... or at least we used to.
It's just like car accidents. Most fatal accidents happen within a few miles of folk's homes. ...what could possibly go wrong in
my 'hood???
F18H vs C170?? ?? ?? ...Gravity gotta eat, same as worms.
Every single airplane is "just fast enough to kill you."
At the end of the day, every air-o-plane is ultimately just an amalgamation of lifting surfaces, thrust and control systems. When automation -for whatever combo of reasons- creates pilots who are no longer capable of manual control of their airplane throughout the full regime of flight...??? Yeah, bad things happen. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But eventually.
Without intermediation... Know how to... and be able to... FLY. YOUR. AIRPLANE. When there comes a day or circumstance that intermediates between
you and control, or if there comes a day or circumstance that prevents
your control of your airplane??? Yup! That's the day you should stop flying it. Let a computer. Or let a younger kid (if you dismiss the next generation of pilots).
EOD... I really, really hope this doesn't turn out to be another Eddie Andreini at Travis debacle. From the early reports, it sounds like it has potential to be.
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