Harrison Fords ups and downs in flying

Todays BBC NEWS article on his flying mishaps

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52503316

Sometimes money fixes everything?

I have some sympathy with the latest incident when the controller mumbled "continue to hold"...

However, at this point in his aviation career he probably should fly with a safety pilot.

No mumbling there I reckon but we are talking about HF!

It’s not wise to upset a Wookiee

I'm a bit of a fan Of Harrison. Hes has been awarded quite a few aeroplane/aviation related awards. in the USA. From where I sit, I reckon he's the real thing. He spends his own money. I think the engine failure in the Ryan knocked him about a bit.. May he fly till he doesn't wish to. Nev

Maybe he's too old to fly safely? Many people think they are okay but they are not. I don't fly anymore because I'm getting sillier in my old age. Some start at 60 some much later.

Yes, I've met a few under 60 who were a bit vague but less than one handful. It varies a LOT. so I hesitate to generalise. A good pilot knows his/her limitations through their entire aviation lives and a few kid themselves to keep doing it after they should hang up their goggles. I guess it's too much to expect being honest enough to know and act but have seen a few riders and drivers stop when their neck is too stiff to look around at intersections. Maybe with flying they feel it's not as demanding but if you pull out in front of landing aircraft a few times, forget the fuel cap and harness or land on wrong runways etc give it up before you hurt someone, whatever your age is. I've NEVER believed in a fixed time for everyone. It's too variable. Some have been a liability since the first day they flew. Nev

Maybe he's too old to fly safely? Many people think they are okay but they are not.

Steady on there! The most dangerous part of my flying day is from the idiots on the road, who are usually much younger than me.

FWIW, I believe I'm a better pilot, skills and procedure wise, than I was 50 years ago. Maybe I'm suffering cognitive disorder?

happy days,

Age is never the ultimate factor the poor skills etc but being advanced does put one in a higher risk category. Not too long ago I was asked to be a safety pilot to a Pvt pilot guy who had 800 hrs (around 3000 TT) in his own immaculate C182 but hadn't flown much of late, health issues etc. We went for a few circuits at his own property where he had done a lot of his flying from, in a nut shell he was scary unsafe! Experience, many years flying, familiarity all the things you would think might be a bonus wasn't in his case! Age 74!!

Some times your experience is repeating the same things with mistakes, over and over. Your cunningness is shown in not getting a real hard assessment of how you are going which really is needed. You don't have to be ridiculous about it. You can fail anyone if you try hard enough. That's NOT whatiswanted

There are quite a few self assessing things you can do like figure 8's with 45 degrees of bank (yeah I Know) changing power in and out of the turns. Many just think if the landings fair enough , they are up to scratch. I've always thought would I be happy for my wife and kids to fly with this pilot? is the standard. Bit hard perhaps?? Nev

There's the old expression - ten years experience or one years experience ten times.

Some people after a time away, might have a crisis of confidence. That might require a bit of working on. Being underconfident will compromise your performance to varied extents.. I know some who would say "OK you've got the mistakes out of the way, now we will do the good part of the check. Relax a bit". Nev