Of course, the same can be said of two pilots in the same cockpit. It takes a lot of courage to say “no, I really don’t like the look of this” when the other guy is saying “it looks fine to me.”
WilliamF wrote:
The bravado that enters this kind of frame is amazing. It’s like at a fly-in. People can do some incredibly stupid stuff in the company of other pilots/aircraft that would never happen were they on their own.
I dont agree. At the last gathering of pilots on a fly-out I went to abroad, the opposite happened. I did NOT launch because a couple of others didnt want to. By myself I would have departed with a definite diversion in mind if I wasnt happy with the weather en-route, but some others preferred to stay and enjoy where we were, so I also stayed. I believe a couple did leave and continued with the planned itinary.
Timothy wrote:
Of course, the same can be said of two pilots in the same cockpit. It takes a lot of courage to say “no, I really don’t like the look of this” when the other guy is saying “it looks fine to me.”
Actually, it requires simple pre-flight consensus: no peer pressure and no questions asked about cancelation/diverting/turning back before safe return. I do cave diving (which also requires systematic approach to risk) and if a team member cancels the dive at any point (from the preparation phase to anywhere deep in the cave), the dive is canceled and that’s it. No questions asked, no alternatives, no analysis before getting back safely to surface, regardless the reason (equipment, health, discomfort etc.).
Of course, the same can be said of two pilots in the same cockpit. It takes a lot of courage to say “no, I really don’t like the look of this” when the other guy is saying “it looks fine to me.”
Indeed, but there is a defined process there, called “PIC”. On group events people tend to follow the boldest one. Especially VFR-only pilots who have traditionally avoided bad wx and who are relatively easily influenced by someone appearing to be experienced. It’s the same with ATC instructions: I have seen as much ice as I want to see so if an ATCO forcefully tells me to descend into icing conditions, I will absolutely refuse. But someone who hasn’t seen ice might just do it; the whole training process emphasises obedience of ATC.
I did NOT launch because a couple of others didnt want to.
That’s understandable, but let’s say everybody except you was going. Then the pressure goes way up.
Peter wrote:
That’s understandable, but let’s say everybody except you was going. Then the pressure goes way up.
I’ve flown numerous club trips, but one which sticks in mind is the one to Dubrovnik. After exploring the city, we flew back, landed in Lido and spent a couple of days exploring Venice. On the day of the return flight, the weather was borderline going through the Brenner. From my weather interpretation, we had around 3 hours to allow us to fly through until the weather would make the pass too risky. However some pilots were uncomfortable about this and so they elected to go around via Nice and up the Rhone Valley. Took them 16 hours longer to reach the destination but nobody commented on the fact that the group split in two, it’s a sign of strength that a pilot has his limitations and sticks to it….
skydriller wrote:
I dont agree. At the last gathering of pilots on a fly-out I went to abroad, the opposite happened
You would not believe what has happened at fly in’s which I have organised. I wouldn’t write much of it online as it wouldn’t sound credible or sensible that it happened. The whatsapp videos that circulate after a good fly-in here are amazing.
Indeed as Dirty Harry said
Emir wrote:
Actually, it requires simple pre-flight consensus: no peer pressure and no questions asked
Peter wrote:
there is a defined process there, called “PIC”.
If only life were that simple. Some of us fly with a paymaster or chief pilot in the other seat. It is easy to be glib, but much harder in practice.
Timothy wrote:
Some of us fly with a paymaster or chief pilot in the other seat
Less relevant for a GA fly-in? most of aircraft in the gaggle just end up doing their own ways/plans after all each has own aircraft/personality 
In the other hand, the concept of “PIC” is even non-existent for other type of flying (e.g. military single seater)
Isn’t there a difference between a fly-in where everyone makes his/her own plans and arrives (or not) and after the event carries on and a group fly-out where a gaggle of airplanes travel in loose formation? I think the first one (typical of EuroGA) doesn’t present much of peer pressure danger, the second scenario certainly does. Personally I’m not a great fan of group events so haven’t participated in many, but in the few I have the social dynamics were quite interesting.
