ABSTRACT
A number of years ago while working in training, there came a time when I was to check out as a Boeing 707 aircraft flight instructor. My instructor for the training was a very senior captain, someone for whom I had a great deal of respect. This was during the time when a large amount of training was still being conducted in the actual airplane. Total simulator training had not quite arrived. Today, most training is conducted entirely in the simulator, reducing cost and enhancing safety. After we had finished our airplane training period and were on the ground, there was time to talk. During our conversation my instructor was reviewing the maneuvers we had just completed and was commenting on the pros and cons of my performance. As we spoke, the conversation drifted into my forthcoming responsibilities as an airplane instructor and this senior captain said, “You will never be a captain until you can say no!” Needless to say I was stunned! What did he mean by that? On the way home I thought about that statement and I must admit I still think about that comment even today – for I have never forgotten it.
