The Patrician
HOW TO OVERCOME FLAWED THINKING AND BECOME A BETTER PILOT
The Patrician
“T
(Victoria Flying Club Incorporation Bylaws, 1946)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT Don Devenney
VICE
SECRETARY Glen Rippon
TREASURER Reg Smith
DIRECTORS Angie Johnson
Mike Vossen
Joseph Martin
Laurie Ingalls
GENERAL MANAGER
Mike Schlievert
Do you want other pilots to fly with, split flight cost, share knowledge, or get help getting to a new airport for the first time? Find potential mentors and their resumes posted on the Mentors bulletin board beside the Dispatch counter. Contact details are on each mentor's resume or you can email mentors@ flyvfc.com for more information. Interested in becoming a mentor? There's
room for more experienced pilots! Send an email to
for more information on how to join up!
NEWS Around the Club
FROM THE EDITOR:
Fall has finally arrived after an incredibly pleasant summer and brought with it some wild wind and rain. Stay bundled up and safe both out there and up there!
This month the Patrician learns from David Gagliardi about the threat of cognitive dissonance in the cockpit, has a throwback to an interview with the amazing Jessica James, and more! And, of course, that jawdropping cover photo of Aurora Borealis by Dane Campbell!
Thanks for reading and see you next issue!
—Kelly, Editor of the Patrician
EVENTS & HOLIDAYS
NOV 11 REMEMBRANCE DAY
NOV 23 BCGA 2024 AGM
NOV 28 THANKSGIVING (USA)
DEC 7 SOCIAL SATURDAY AT THE VFC
DEC 21 WINTER SOLSTICE
DEC 24 CHRISTMAS EVE
DEC 25 CHRISTMAS DAY
DEC 26 FIRST DAY OF HANUKKAH
DEC 31 NEW YEAR'S EVE
JAN 1 NEW YEAR'S DAY
Know of an aviation-related event that's not listed? Let us know at vfcpatrician@gmail.com!
SOCIAL SATURDAYS
If you haven't been attending our Social Saturdays, you're missing out. Barring holiday weekends, the first Saturday of every month is the place for club fun and aviation-based socializing at the VFC! The event usually begins between 9 and 9:30 AM, and always offers free coffee, free donuts, and something interesting or valuable to attendees. Let's put the "club" back in the Victoria Flying Club!
"There is no such thing as a small miracle in aviation."
-Mark Twain
UPCOMING ISSUES
Do you have your own pictures of the Aurora Borealis? Maybe some shots of you testing out a new plane or new flight path? Maybe you have some adventures you want to share? We're always looking for more content to share with our membership!
Reach out to vfcpatrician@gmail.com and we'll be happy to work with you to create a memorable article for an upcoming issue.
NEWS Around the Club
SPOOKY TIMES AT THE VFC
The VFC got into the spirit this Halloween season with some festive decorations around the Dispatch desk! What do you all think? Should we have a VFC costume contest next year? We'd love to have some more pictures of creative costumes for our next Halloween issue!
GROUND SCHOOL SCHEDULE
PRIVATE PILOT LICENCE GROUND SCHOOL
PPL #24-12: NOV 03/2024 TO FEB 02/2025
Sundays (09:00 - 16:00)
COMMERCIAL PILOT LICENCE GROUND SCHOOL
CPL: OCT 5/2024 TO FEB 08/2025
Saturdays (09:00 - 16:00) with Instructor Ken Kosvik, Ben Holden, Neil Keating
MOUNTAIN AWARENESS TRAINING GROUND SCHOOL
MTA #24-XX DATES AS REQUIRED OR REQUESTED.
Individual scheduling requests are available for Private Pilot Licence, Commercial Pilot Licence, Mountain Awareness Training (MTA), Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (Drone) Courses (RPAS) by request.
Individual tutoring is also available for PPL and CPL upon request.
Confirm your attendance by contacting: Neil Keating: (204) 291-9667
VFC CHARTER SERVICE
VFC Charter offers inexpensive, on-demand, and direct transportation to places not serviced by other commercial carriers in the lower BC area. The charter service is operational in day VFR conditions. Contact us for more information on destinations and costs or to book a flight at: Email: tedk@flyvfc.com Call: 1-778-350-3213
FIRST SOLOS
"Without disruption of air traffic, these fearless, forthright, indomitable and courageous individuals did venture into the wild blue yonder in flying machines.
Furthermore, these skillful individuals did safely land said flying machines at Victoria International Airport, incurring no significant damage to self or machine, thus completing first solo flights."
THIS ISSUE WE CELEBRATE THE FIRST SOLOS OF THESE PILOTS:
Eric Lefort Aya Hammond
PPL WRITTEN TEST
Jose Pablo Sandoval Sandez
PPL FLIGHT TEST
William MacTavish
John Buffey
Bernie Tremblay
Sam Fitzzaland
Ariel Gamble
Todd Allinger
MULT-ENGINE RATING Tristan Bacon
Matthew Browning GROUP 1 INSTRUMENT RATING-IFR
Sean Morris
WELCOME NEW VFC MEMBERS
Kharam Khalsa
Kennedy Saville
Connor McNeil
David Beswick
Ashton Ellis
Alistair Forsyth
Sean Luttmer
Elias Schanz
Dennis Tchouiko
Neil Libbenga
Andrew Schmidt
Henrik Pedersen
Seth Sommerfreund
Rob Kelly
Benjamin Wolfe
Mathieu Leadbitter
Patricia Falden
Derek Tahmasebi
Martina Gregson
Nikita Nikita
Wari Dunn
Chase Norring
Ben Toner
Naruhito Hayakawa
Koen Hughes
Anson Deng
PARKING AVAILABLE!
Interested in prime paved parking spaces for your aircraft? Good News: there are spots available!
Secure, pull-in/pull-out, easy access.
Call Dispatch at 250-656-2833 to arrange a spot or to get on the waitlist for hangar spaces!
Cole Selzler
David O'Hanley
Gaby Vasco
Johnathan Smith
Gary Farnden
Richard Gray
Benjamin Marty
Oliver Golder
Riley Heard
Gen Kiffiak
David Thomas
Elisha Peterson
REMEMBRANCE DAY EVENTS IN YYJ
A number of events are being held around lower Vancouver Island on Monday, November 11th, in honour of those who gave everything in service. Besides the main parade in Victoria, here are a few potentially lesser known ones:
Oak Bay
The District’s Remembrance Day Ceremony will be planned in accordance with provincial regulations. This public ceremony will be held at the Cenotaph (located on Beach Drive) at 10:55 am and is open to the public. A livestream of the ceremony will also be available on www.lumeraevents.com/OakBayRemembers
Sidney
The traditional Remembrance Day Parade will begin at 10:30 am the Mary Winspear Centre, from where it will travel along Beacon Avenue and Second Street, ending at the Cenotaph on Sidney Avenue. The ceremonial Service of Remembrance for the Fallen will commence at 10:50 am with a scheduled Fly Past planned during the silence at 11:00 am.
The City of Sidney invites veterans who wish to participate in the parade to muster at the Mary Winspear Centre at 10am or join at the Cenotaph.
This ceremony will be livestreamed at 10:30 am on www.radiosidney.ca for those unable to attend.
Royal BC Museum
The Royal BC Museum is presenting free performances and presentations on Remembrance Day.
11:45-12:30 pm — Remembrance Day Recital (located outdoors at the Netherlands Centennial Carillon)
12:30-1:00 pm — Victoria Children's Choir performance (located at the Main Floor in Clifford Carl Hall)
1:15-2:15 pm — Presentation by Military and Home Front Historian, Paul Ferguson, "Mrs. Kate Palmer's Walk" (located in the Newcombe Conference Hall)
Esquimalt
A special ceremony will be held at noon in God's Acre veteran's cemetery to honour more than 2,500 military personnel who rest there. The public is invited to come and pay their respects and gain perspective of Canada's naval heritage.
Langford
The City of Langford invites the public to gather at Veteran's Memorial Park at 10:30 am for a ceremony to honour and reflect on the sacrifices made during war times.
For more information, please contact the Royal Canada Legion Prince Edward Branch #91 Langford at 250-478-1828 or visit www.rcl91.ca .
TEXADA ADULT AEROSPACE CAMP
Every year, the Texada Aviation Museum in Van Anda, BC, hosts the Texada AeroSpace Camp to bring the wonder of space to youth ages 10-15 through a program full of aerospace and aviation subjects. Kids who attend the program cherish the experience and proudly wear their lapel wings — often to the envy of their family members!
Over the years, some perhaps initially joking suggestions about a program for adults began to circulate around TAM, which finally culminated in the creation of an actual adult aerospace camp!
This event was held on Saturday, October 19th and was designed for mature students who are passionate about space, aviation, and the science behind it all. The highlight of the event was a flight in the AirBuzz Mk II Simulator!
If you know youth in the age range to attend the camp or would like to encourage TAM to hold another adult camp next year, reach out to them at texaero2023@gmail.com or visit their website today: www.texada.org/texada-aerospace-camp
Doby and his daughter-in-law in the AirBuzz Mk II Simulator
Larry Dyke teaching students at the Adult Aerospace Camp, 2024
The AirBuzz Mk II Simulator after a wash
Texada Adult Aerospace Camp
THE PROFESSIONAL PILOT COGNITIVE BIASES
by David Gagliardi
“‘Professionalism’ is commonly understood as an individual’s adherence to a set of standards, code of conduct or collection of qualities that characterize accepted practice within a particular area of activity.” -Universities UK et al. 2004 by David Gagliardi
Professional pilots embody the attributes in the definition above. Being a professional pilot has nothing to do with what license you hold it is ultimately about the attitude with which you approach flying. This article is the tenth in a series that will examine aspects of piloting light aircraft to a professional standard. In today’s article I will discuss the effect of cognitive biases in aviation decision making.
Cognitive biases are convenient intellectual shortcuts that allow us to streamline our decision-making processes (heuristics) and have evolved to help humans process information quickly when under pressure. These biases are founded on values, memory (experience, beliefs and training), socialization and personal attributes and, as such, can result in illogical and
irrational decisions, and misjudgment of risks and threats.
With respect to the piloting of light aircraft the most relevant biases are:
1) Confirmation bias
2) Continuation bias, and 3) Hindsight and outcome bias
Confirmation Bias
Once an initial understanding (mental model) of a situation has been formed, the pilot will search their memory and what they have just observed for additional information relevant to that mental model. Such data, then, are apt to be recalled and regarded as pertinent only to the extent that they confirm
the existing mental model. Although potentially confirmatory information tends to be taken at face value, potentially dis-confirming information is subjected to a more critical and sceptical scrutiny.
Confirmation Bias can have such a strong impact that once individuals have developed a mental model of a problem space, and they have confirmed their model, it becomes very difficult to let go of the model, even when faced with contradictory information.
Continuation Bias
Continuation Bias is the unconscious cognitive bias to continue with the original plan in spite of changing conditions. A number of different factors can adversely impact a pilot's decisionmaking process. For example, increased workload can adversely impact a pilot's ability to perceive and evaluate cues affecting the flight.
Once a plan is made and committed to, it becomes increasingly difficult for changes in conditions in the flight environment to be recognized as
necessitating a change to the plan. Often, as workload increases, the stimuli or conditions will appear obvious to people external to the situation; however, it can be very difficult for a pilot caught up in the plan to recognize the importance of the cues and the need to alter the plan.
When continuation bias interferes with the pilot's ability to detect important cues, or if the pilot fails to recognize the implications of those cues, breakdowns in situational awareness (SA) occur. These breakdowns in SA can result in poor decisions being made, which could compromise safety.
Hindsight and Outcome Bias
Hindsight bias and outcome bias sound similar but they are different concepts. Hindsight bias is a cognitive bias involving a tendency to overestimate one’s ability to have predicted an outcome or result that could not have been predicted before the event took place. Hindsight bias can lead someone to believe that an event was more predictable that it was and can result in an over-simplification of cause and effect. With hindsight bias the correct choice or decisions seems obvious after the fact when it wasn’t at the time the decision was made.
Outcome bias is a cognitive bias that refers to the tendency to judge a decision based on its outcome rather than basing it on an assessment of the quality of the decision at the time it was made. Outcome bias can arise when a decision is based on the outcome of previous events without taking into account how the past events developed.
Normalization of deviance, that is accepting as normal pilot actions that are against regulations, standard operating procedures, or accepted norms of flight practices; are often associated with hindsight and outcome bias. The fact that the pilot accepted a deviance and there was no negative outcome encourages further deviances until tragedy strikes.
A practical example of how the biases inherent in the human process can trip up a pilot is an improper response to an ATC direction. This happened to me not long ago when I was flying the Cowichan arrival. This published arrival is at 2000 feet and I have flown this arrival at 2000 feet hundreds of times. This time, however, when I called inner tower at Cowichan Bay ATC pointed out traffic at 12 o’clock and told me to descend to 1500 feet. I acknowledge the instruction while looking for the traffic but never descended. This was a good example of both confirmation bias as I was so used to maintaining 2000 feet at Cowichan Bay and continuation bias as I would normally not start my descent until closer in. Tower had to call me again and remind me to descend. I remember being startled by the call and then realized I had fallen prey to my biases.
Unfortunately failing to be aware of the danger that a pilot may be making flawed decisions due to a bias has led to many tragic outcomes. Accidents caused by pushing on in the face of deteriorating weather will often have a causal factor relating to the pilot making poor decisions as a result of failing to acknowledge the possibility of a bias in their decision making.
Professional pilots will acknowledge the inevitable human tendency to make decisions that may be flawed due to biases, and will challenge themselves by asking the question:
“Have I considered all the factors that apply to my situation ?”
AN INTERVIEW WITH
JESSICA JAMES
This article was originally published in the March 2022 issue of the Patrician. Since then, Lost Car Rescue has gone on to have a second season and in 2023 was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Factual Program or Series.
This month the Patrician sat down with Jessica James, VFC alumnus and pilot on the History Channel’s new show, Lost Car Rescue.
How did you end up on Lost Car Rescue?
I met the host, Matt Sager, about nine or ten years ago at the Victoria Flying Club. We were both working on our Private Pilot Licenses and became really good friends and stayed in touch after flight school. I went off to become a commercial pilot and he started developing the show’s concept. Matt’s hunted cars since he was young, but when he got serious about doing it as a TV show he put together his own sizzle reel.
I’m a firm believer in the idea that everything happens for a reason. In March of 2020, I was laid off from Kenn Borek Air, and it was pretty grim. 2020 was not the best time to be a fixed-wing pilot, let alone an unemployed one. I went back to school for a bit to get my paramedic license, but then the show was picked up and the next thing I know I’m working with Matt. The timing just worked out. Everything happens for a reason.
It probably helps that you two already had that friendly chemistry. Absolutely! I’ve known Matt and his family for the past ten years. We were able to go right into it with an authentic connection, which really brings a lot to the show.
What was it like growing up with a pilot?
It was always a partnership up in the front. My dad is a pilot and my mom was his co-pilot and navigator.
It’s funny, as a kid I was terrified to go up front. Completely terrified. That’s so ironic, right? Even when the plane was on the ground, I was terrified to go into the front even for a photo. I don’t know why, but I was absolutely terrified of it! And I stayed that way until a short flight from William’s Lake to a family friend’s farm when
my dad finally told me “You’re getting over this” and put me up front. It was only a twenty minute flight, and he decided it was the right time for me to do it. I was really young, maybe five, but it worked! I’ve been fine ever since then. It’s really funny looking back on it.
So once you were comfortable in the front of a plane, when did you start flying?
I was 19 when I started. I had just graduated high school and didn’t know what I wanted to do, but my mom is a big advocate of school and told me I had to do something. I couldn’t commit to a university program, but I always knew I want to get my license. I honestly had never thought of it as
a career, but once I got my private pilot’s license the rest is history.
So what are you up to right now?
When I’m not filming, I’m doing tech records work for a helicopter company. I’m learning something new, which is great. And I have so much appreciation for maintenance departments now! It’s so much easier being a pilot, breaking the plane, and pawning it off.
It’s also great to learn a new skill, and a good way to spend time until I find out if we’re getting a second season.
Did growing up in a remote, aviation-oriented
town affect how you saw the industry or what you expected from it?
Growing up in a small town, particularly a northern small town, I had a sense of the aviation/bush world. Even though I was young, I knew it wasn’t going to be all roses and sunshine. There were definitely challenges, even as early as my private pilot’s license.
I think the biggest thing is to let people know that it’s okay to talk about it. If we don’t talk about it, it’s easy to think that you’re alone.
It’s important to let people know that they’re not the only ones going through it and to support each other. Women are the minority in this industry, but it’s important for me to say that both females and males have supported me.
However, throughout my career and my training, I heard comments that said females were unable to be pilots. Really unacceptable things. Look, the truth is: you want to do well at this job. Your life depends on it. Other peoples’ lives depend on it. It doesn’t help your confidence to constantly hear those kinds of comments and think you’re the only one. The aviation industry is hard enough without that being a part of it.
Did you expect to face those kinds of difficulties you as a women in aviation?
To be honest, I think a key part of the situation was that I was very young. This was Jess becoming an adult and learning to grow up. When I heard comments or faced negativity, I just took it and I shouldn’t have. I tried to laugh it off, but in reality I internalized a lot of it because I thought I was the only one hearing it. I felt alone.
But I’m also the kind of person who rises to a
challenge. When someone questioned whether or not I’d ever be good enough to be a pilot, my response was: “I’ll show you.” And I did.
What do you think helps people get through situations like that?
It’s important that people talk about the times that are tough. This industry
is full of ups and downs. People need to know they’re not the only ones struggling and that this industry can be a bit soul crushing, to say the least. It’s not all good, and we need to be comfortable sharing that. But that said, at the same time it’s just as important to celebrate the successes.
For example: I feel very
grateful for my time at Harbour Air. I had the chance to fly with amazing captains, learned from very knowledge float pilots, and made a family there that I still feel connected to today. When I went to Borek, I expected to see the world, but then the pandemic happened and I was sent home, which was a really hard blow. I don’t think we talk about it a lot, but pilots really identify as pilots. If that’s taken away from you, it’s a real jab to your mental health.
It feels like starting over. When I was laid off, there was a prediction that it would be 3-5 years before I’d be flying again. But I’m the type of gal who can’t still for long, so I went back to school and got my paramedic license.
Do you think things are changing in aviation?
I think we’re getting better at supporting each other, but at the same time the fact that there are less female pilots creates an artificial sense of competition. Which is the exact opposite thing we should be doing. It’s heartbreaking.
I was incredibly lucky to meet another female pilot in Harbour Air who was ahead of me in the process. We compared notes, and
realized it turned out she had gone through the same type of experiences. Knowing that we weren’t the only ones having these feelings or struggles allowed us to empower each other. We have to break that barrier.
I also think that it’s important to recognize the men who have supported me and their female colleagues in general. It can be hard not to generalize, but I think there’s good people and bad people in the world, and that applies to any gender. I can’t say enough good things about the captains I worked with at Harbour Air, but one of my captains in particular really stands out.
I was in the process of moving from Vancouver to Victoria and had a crummy week. I had just finished my safety briefing where I introduced
good and the ugly, because there is ugly. I hate say it, but unfortunately females have to go through more than males in this industry.
This industry is still evolving and you have to have the passion to push through it. Find your mentors, your advocates, and a positive group of people you can confide in and who will support you. I’ve been so fortunate to have amazing mentors, both male and female, throughout my career.
the captain and then myself as first officer. As we were taxing out, he turned to me and said something I’ll never forget: “We are an equal team. You don’t need to say that I’m the captain and you’re the co-pilot. We’re both pilots up here.”
And that is a moment that will always stay with me forever. It was the first time that I was acknowledged as a full commercial pilot. That’s one huge story, but are so many others from my time at Harbour Air. I was so lucky and am eternally grateful that my first job was there.
Is there anything that you wish you knew when you started flying?
My biggest take away from this whole industry is to learn to talk about the
Know that there are days when it’s going to be hard. Young, impressionable people come into this career and need to know that. You’re going to have bad days. You might fail an exam. Someone
might tell you that you’re not a good pilot. That affects your self esteem and your entire outlook on becoming a pilot. If you think it’s going to be perfect, it might be enough to make you walk away from it. But I believe that if we talk about it we can change the atmosphere.
What’s the best part about being on Lost Car Rescue?
I didn’t do the show to be on TV. I’m not big on the limelight. For me, it was about being able to save these old cars and listen to peoples’ stories. As an only child who grew up in a small town, listening to stories from the
older generation was everything for me. It was my childhood. Besides that, getting to hang out with my best friend all summer, learn something new, and to fly a really cool aircraft while getting PIC time… it felt like summer camp! And the fact we were getting paid to do it was almost confusing because it’s something we love so much. It’s like a dream.
What’s your favourite moment from the show?
A few different ones. I fell in love with a 1959 Volkswagen Beetle, because of the owner’s story. He hitchhiked from Dawson’s Creek to Saskatoon to pick it up, which gives you so much appreciate for the world we live in now. He was so proud of this Beetle and he and his wife were so sweet. We’re still in touch.
We also got a 1918 Model-T race car. It was the oldest one we’d found, but also had a really neat story. It was postwar, and the men were coming home, but wanted something fast. A lot of them were pilots and missed that adrenaline, so they’d do races. We found this one outside of North Battleford,
Saskatchewan. Fun fact: the Model T is at the BC Aviation museum right now!
It’s all so amazing. We find these cars everywhere. Some are abandoned in the woods, but some are parked neatly in the corner of a farm where the owner always intended to restore them up before life happened. There’s so much bleed over from the aviation world to the car world. These cars are part of their families. They’re not trying to sell them, but if the right person comes along they’re willing to let them go to a new home.
And we stay in touch. I’ve had to promise to so many people that when their cars get restored by their new owners
I’ll be contact with updates and photos. For these people it’s not about the money. Then for other people, they don’t even know they have the cars in the first place and look at us like we’re crazy. People have offered to pay us to take away what they see as junk and we’ve had to convince them of what they have. Every time is different.
Any advice for new pilots?
Try different things. Network. You never know where connections and relationships will lead you in aviation!
Always be a good person. That’s one piece of advice that I was given that I’ve always kept close to my heart, because it’s such a small
industry that your reputation is everything. Beyond that, support each other and talk about the good and the bad. Change the narrative.
Even though there are bad days there are going to be the best days of your life if it’s something you are passionate about it is worth every hard day. I wouldn’t trade any of my adventures in and I feel grateful for where this career has taken me and the people I have met along the way.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Jessica!
You can find Jessica and Lost Car Rescue over on the History Channel.
SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO TAGGED US ON INSTAGRAM!
From top, left to right: @flyboy_dan: "Cruising past Mt Rainier"; @burtonader: " Sentimental Journey firing up for a local tour around Victoria, BC during their 2023 visit"; @bcaviationmuseum: " Did you know? Guided tours are available for free of the BCAM!" and " Crews completed the work burying the blocks ahead of schedule, and Hawaii Mars is open again!"; jana.l_be: "Making memories!"; ortiontheaviator: " Swoop - Westjet taking off from Victoria International Airport (YYJ)" // Thanks for the share!
