A nice read, despite me knowing nothing about the sport. Many good
thoughts about risk we could heed in SE and cybersecurity.
The primary determinant of failure is bad decision making, not skill,
experience or equipment. In the absence of feedback, bad decisions
look like good ones, because we get away with them, and that
reinforces risk taking.
The author suggests that reflective practice is a key to improvement
but most of us don't think over our actions - we just constantly "get
away with" the outcomes.
One thing made me laugh;
"...respectable occupations of many hang glider pilots;
doctors, lawyers, computer programmers."
The primary determinant of failure is bad decision making, not skill, experience or equipment. In the absence of feedback, bad decisions look like good ones, because we get away with them, and that reinforces risk taking.
The author suggests that reflective practice is a key to improvement but most of us don't think over our actions - we just constantly "get away with" the outcomes.
One thing made me laugh;
The social commentary hasn't dated so well :)