A Book Review: ‘From Nose to Tale’ by Gihan A. Fernando. Srianee Dias

A Book Review:  ‘From Nose to Tale’ by Gihan A. Fernando

By Srianee Dias

Note from Speedy: I am happy to continue the theme of Batchmates' family achievements (extending to family from just spouses!), and post this most interesting article by Srianee about her brother's achievement. Well done Gihan!

Full disclosure, the author is my youngest brother, a retired international airlline captain whose career included piloting many different types of aircraft in four different international ailines.It is a fascinating book and each story stands alone.  The stories also cover a variety of situations that airline captains face.  Gihan was the captain on a flight to San Francisco when the crew received the news of the attack on The World Trade Center.  They did not have sufficient fuel to return to Seoul, South Korea, where they had departed from four hours before. You will have to read ‘The Day the World Changed’ to find out how the story ended for their flight.  There is also an amusing story where the author as the captain, had to convey the acceptance of a marriage proposal to one of his passengers on board his flight!

     When we climb aboard a commercial flight, a mere metal tube that speeds through the air at high altitudes , we don’t spare much thought for the person at the controls.

    This entertaining book, which is a collection of stories and anecdotes about aviation, written in the captivating style of a skillful storyteller, will give the reader some insight into the training and the life of a commercial pilot.  The stories of the author’s early years as a trainee at the Ratmalana Flying Training School are especially interesting.  He writes about the trials and tribulations that he and his fellow trainees had to endure.  

   The book is filled with color photos of many small aircraft, which reflects the author’s fondness for them.  It is when one is sitting in one of those two seaters that one experiences the real sensation of flying.

   Readers who have any association with the airline industry will find this book especially interesting. Other readers will find the stories entertaining and enlightening.

  Many of these stories were previously published over several years in ‘The Island’ newspaper in Sri Lanka, some under the pseudonym ‘Guwan Seeya!’  Friends and family persuaded Gihan to publish the collection as a book.

    One article that is not included in the book (editorial decision) was published in The Island entitled ‘Airline Pilots, Doctors, and Lawyers.’ It is not really a story, but will interest the readers of this blog. It compares the regulations that govern the practice of these professions.  Airline pilots must undergo semi-annual medical check-ups.  Three times a year they are tested by regulators in a simulated environment to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills to handle all types of emergencies.  Once a year they have to demonstrate their capabilities at handling the safety equipment, which requires that pilots be good team players.

    Doctors in the US have to document a designated number of Continuing Medical Education hours (CMEs) when applying to renew their licenses to practice medicine in their respective states. The requirements vary from state to state. Hospitals in the US also have similar requirements for their Medical Staff.  I am unaware of equivalent requirements in Sri Lanka.

     In his article, Gihan writes “Airline pilots and doctors work in real time unlike lawyers who can take out their diaries and postpone a case for another day.”

     Increasingly, some of the systems designed to reduce errors in the airline industry are being adopted by the medical industry, especially in the operating rooms.  (Operating Room Management-ORM). A pre-op briefing where the surgeon introduces himself and the rest of the team to each other, and outlines the plan for surgery is becoming more commonplace, just as in a pre-flight briefing of an airline crew. Also, just like on the flight deck, even the most junior member on the team is encouraged to voice concern if something seems amiss,even at the risk of embarrassment, unlike in the old days.

     Apparently, a few years after this article appeared in The Island, Gihan was contacted by a private hospital in Colombo.  He writes “They acknowledeged the fact that aviation is at the cutting edge of ‘error management,’ at a time when the Far Eastern ailine I was employed by was a leader in Crew Resource Management (CRM). The hospital wanted to know if I would speak to their surgeons on the risk-alleviation methods used in aviation.  As a CRM facilitator, I requested in turn that, as a starting point for our discussion, the surgeons describe to me a real-life scenario wherein an operation was ‘botched.’ After a lapse of many weeks I was told that “surgeons don’t make mistakes”.  

    The profits from the sale of the book will be used to establish a scholarship fund for aspiring airline pilots in Sri Lanka, because the cost of training has risen steeply

  At the moment, the book can be downloaded on the Kindle App from Amazon.  Those who subscribe to Kindle Unlimited will be able to read it without additional cost.  Hard copies are available for sale in Colombo at Sarasavi Bookstores, Expographic Books and Barefoot.  In the near future it may be possible to purchase them on Amazon as well.