A front page story in this morning’s USA Today talked about airline safety and how improper simulator training for pilots often causes accidents.  Flight simulators, no matter how impressive the technology behind them, are not perfect representations of actual flight.  Yet, the airlines rely on them for the bulk of new pilot training.  So, under certain circumstances, pilots take the wrong actions because they react to how the simulator works, not to how the plane actually works.  This is proof that the old adage “practice makes perfect” isn’t quite right.  The saying ought to be: “practice make permanent.”  Practice the wrong things, and you just get good at doing the wrong things. Continue reading Taking the Stick →