Carb Orientation Pt. 2: Internet Reading Comprehension Failures

Builders:

Two days ago, I wrote the story: Ma3-SPA carb orientation, essentially complaining about those seeking advice from the internet and their “local expert”.

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Just to demonstrate that almost no one on discussion groups actually reads what I write, The last 48 hours generates another predictable  little feces storm, just because people can’t read:

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In the story, I wrote:

“I will try to keep this short: If you want to know something about your Corvair, ask Myself or Dan Weseman  first, not after you go to the internet “

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A few words later in the same short story wrote:

” It works fine, and any internet joker who says it does not has no credibility.”

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Because internet discussion group regulars love drama and have low reading comprehension, about a dozen people missed the first part, only read the second, and somehow decided that my theoretical “internet joker” was Dan Weseman. 

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I am not sure how anyone reads the top paragraph and then thinks I was suggesting that people don’t take Dan’s advice, when that it just what I was telling them to do. But on the internet, The same story that you read, generated people from as far away as Australia, demanding that “I owe Dan Weseman a public apology.” That may be good drama, but it is damn poor reading comprehension skills. Evidently there were a number of other people who fail reading the story also. This proves my point that maybe you shouldn’t seek building advice from the net, because not all of the people out there are reading and understanding things at an acceptable level to offer advice on them.

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I am ‘banded for life’ from the Corvair discussion group where this drama took place, so I would have no idea this was going on, except I was down at Dan Weseman’s  shop this morning, coordinating orders and parts for builders in prep for colleges #36 and #37. Far from demanding a public apology, Dan and I laughed our butts off about this drama, and how it proved that people really don’t read or learn much in settings prone to drama. What no one paid attention to is that countless times I have pointed out that no one flies Corvairs harder than Dan in stories like this one: Understanding Flying Corvairs Pt. #2, Hardest working engine.  Dan has actually flown MA3’s in all the positions I mentioned in the story, in a great number of different planes, in addition to flying them in a number of Certified planes….and I don’t mean putt putting around, I mean looping spinning and rolling his uncle’s Tri-Pacer and many other planes. This is why my story suggested calling him.

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Above a 2009 photo in our front yard taken during a flight test series. Vince, above left, and Louis, far right, just after the first flight of their 601XL. Working with myself, Dan Weseman and Grace,  they planned and executed a flawless first flight. Dan and Grace flew the Cleanex as the chase plane. Dan’s flight experience in many different types of planes has been a priceless asset in the Corvair movement.

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Notice that I am never the first person in an exchange to use the particular person’s name when critiquing an action, not because I have manners, but because I want people reading it to learn from the action, rather than focusing on personalities and drama. In almost every case, I have called the person, written private email, or spoken with them in person about the same topic, and only then if they still want to make a public issue, will I use their name in a story.

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This particular internet drama was started and driven by a KR-2 builder named Paul Visk. Although he probably failed to mention this, Paul has attended several Corvair Colleges, including #34 where I ran his engine for him: Photos from Corvair College #34 at Zenith A/C . I very patiently volunteered my time to directly work with him at these events, including patiently correcting his mistakes caused by rushing and not reading directions. Since then, I have previously asked Paul to use some consideration before writing things into the net on groups where I can not respond. Paul nor anyone owes me anything, or has to agree with or even like me, just because I hold free colleges and made their building successful, but I do have a personal expectation that people who we have assisted at great length, would resist starting fires on discussion groups, and then fanning the flames with their indignation, implying at I was an impediment to their progress, rather than acknowledging that I was at least honest enough to directly say that putting 2″ of washers on a skinny cantilevered bolt to operate a throttle was stupid.

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Paul Visk isn’t an evil or a even a bad guy, he is just acting in a way that has been typical of a great number of people who spent years complaining that there were no affordable products in experimental aviation, and then when he found one, benefited from all the provider offered, still couldn’t resist complaining about things. When I started this 27 years ago, if someone had told me that a great number of builders would be this way, I would have dismissed it as pure negativity, because it isn’t the way I approach anything where people have been willing to teach me a skill. I am older, and I accept that I am not in the majority on this issue, and those who complain will find ready chorus of supports ‘demanding apologies.’ Note: If you want the best support, make sure your complaint is registered between 8pm and midnight, as it will have the most ‘6 beer’ fans, and these are the low reading comprehension guys who write the most indignant ‘high five’ responses.

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For anyone who thought the scene I wrote about at the bottom of the last story was ‘far fetched’, I suggest going an looking up accident histories on early aerocarbs with push to open throttles. Let it clearly be understood that I don’t consider that a design issue, I was strictly taught that anyone who pulls the power back on a single engine plane in the pattern from any position where they can not glide to the runway, is willfully doing something that will eventually catch and potentially kill them. A sonex is an inherently safe aircraft of stout construction, low landing speed, and it fuel tank is made of the toughest construction.  If you fly at a place where instructors or the tower tell people to fly low, giant patterns, it is your responsibility as PIC to move to an airport where sanity prevails. If you consistently have to add power on final to make the runway, your technique is poor and you will eventually run out of options one day. My whole point about stupid throttle linkages is that it has the potential to make that day the same as the day of the very first flight.

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-ww.

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