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My emploryer and I read an artical where a 10,000 hour ag pilot was spraying, and after taking out several loads, and returning for another, flew through powerlines and was killed. His response was, how does this happen? My reply was, his mind was far away from the job at task. Even though I am approching 12000 hrs. I think this is for everone even low time pilots to consider. (complancency) kills. This is something I personally battle with daily. Today I made 43 takeoffs and landings to the top of a mix truck before 11:00 am. and I found my mind wandering at times. What am I going to eat for supper, I should change the oil on my truck. Personal problems are verry bad. Here is what I do, and It has worked so far, I force my thoughts to things like, FUEL check, OIL Press. check, wind, how many loads left. It has to be a consious effort to deal with what you are doing or the mind will wonder or maby it's just me. Anyone else at any hour level have any advise on this subject?

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Also just knowing how our feeble minds work...our short-term memory holds only a few pieces of information (~7), and where that wire is qualifies as short-term info. Even doing routine tasks moves your knowledge of a threat out of your short-term memory. In one of the classes I took, they offered 2 suggestions. If you're operating where wires are your biggest threat, every other thought should be "where's the wire" (that keeps the short term memory refreshed). Second, avoid "target fixation": if another threat pops up (like an equipment malfunction), remove yourself from the greatest threat (climb out of the wire environment), then deal with the new problem.

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Good job remembering the HAI wires class Kodoz! I actually had it again in May- our utility company customer hired them to come and teach it onsite...would have been nice if some linemen had actually shown up!

 

To elaborate a little further on short term memory; think of your short term memory as only having 3 or 4 slots. Every time you think of something not related to what you're doing you push that 'wires' thought another slot back until it eventually drops out completely. Like Kodoz said, conciously make every other thought about where the wires are and its always in your first or second STM slot.

 

This was described to us as the "Austrailian Ag Pilots Mantra"- Every other thought should be about the location of the hazard.

 

IF YOU GO TO HELI-EXPO AND DONT/HAVENT TAKEN THE 'FLYING IN THE WIRE AND OBSTRUCTION EVIRONMENT' CLASS YOU ARE DOING YOURSELF AND YOUR PASSENGERS A DISSERVICE, REGARDLESS OF YOUR PARTICULAR OPERATION TYPE, CFIs & PPLs INCLUDED. $400 IS WORTH YOUR LIFE!

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Thanks Kodos and HelliBoy, really SUPER advise. I have only hit one wire but, had lots of close calls, might not be so lucky next time only to put ugly gash in blades and tear a few nozzels off spray boom. let us sPRAY!

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