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I think trying to think of pilots as being good or bad on some abstract scale is almost certainly an oversimplification. The reality is probably more like for

I think trying to think of pilots as being good or bad on some abstract scale is almost certainly an oversimplification. The reality is probably more like for developers, some of the best developers in terms of achievements are not people you'd want to work with on a daily basis. In the same way that an F1 driver wouldn't necessarily be the world's best bus driver.

dredmorbius 7y ago
A principle in software is to never write the most complicated code you possibly can, because maintenance is harder than writing, and if you could only just barely write it in the first place, you won't be able to maintain it. The principle for pilots is similar. As to skills assessments, you're right, it's difficult. But you can use some general proxies. Certification pilots should be drawn from a standard pool, not a test-pilot pool. Some sense of performance on some standardised battery of qualification flights or simulator check-flights might be used, with scoring based on success or performance in identifying and addressing conditions encountered. The fact that a precise quantity cannot be confidently stated doesn't mean that no quantity or range can be given. And for the sake of the certification pilots, I'm assuming check-out flights would either be in simulators or with a more qualified check pilot assisting.
- VBprogrammer 7y ago
  I think the point that I was trying to make is that a test pilot probably has attributes / skills which make them well qualified as test pilots but perhaps wouldn't make them particularly good line pilots and vice versa. An ideal test pilots should excel in stick and rudder skills and have the ability to work around mechanical / system problems. For a line pilot attributes like organisational skills and planning, interpersonal skills and meteorology skills are much more valuable.
  - dredmorbius 7y ago
    Good points, though I'd argue that for a certification flight, you still want to both emphasize conventional operational training and activities and a minimum set of qualifications for those.

dredmorbius 7y ago

A principle in software is to never write the most complicated code you possibly can, because maintenance is harder than writing, and if you could only just barely write it in the first place, you won't be able to maintain it. The principle for pilots is similar. As to skills assessments, you're right, it's difficult. But you can use some general proxies. Certification pilots should be drawn from a standard pool, not a test-pilot pool. Some sense of performance on some standardised battery of qualification flights or simulator check-flights might be used, with scoring based on success or performance in identifying and addressing conditions encountered. The fact that a precise quantity cannot be confidently stated doesn't mean that no quantity or range can be given. And for the sake of the certification pilots, I'm assuming check-out flights would either be in simulators or with a more qualified check pilot assisting.

VBprogrammer 7y ago
I think the point that I was trying to make is that a test pilot probably has attributes / skills which make them well qualified as test pilots but perhaps wouldn't make them particularly good line pilots and vice versa. An ideal test pilots should excel in stick and rudder skills and have the ability to work around mechanical / system problems. For a line pilot attributes like organisational skills and planning, interpersonal skills and meteorology skills are much more valuable.
- dredmorbius 7y ago
  Good points, though I'd argue that for a certification flight, you still want to both emphasize conventional operational training and activities and a minimum set of qualifications for those.