Sir - Capt Raby complains about the JAA's demand for higher academic standards to improve airmanship.
You cannot produce airmanship with theoretical knowledge. It has to do with a insight gained from situations previously experienced. While theoretical knowledge is good for analysing a problem, you cannot fly an aircraft on analysis. If you had to stop and think about every action, you would not even get your engines started. In a critical situation, the analytical part of the brain switches off; we rely on instinct and reflexes. What most accidents so far have proved is that training in stress prevention techniques is inadequate. The solution to the increasing number of accidents is not academic knowledge but more training in coping with stress.
Capt Thomas Fakoussa
Mossautal, Germany
Source: Airline Business
