Small planes aren't big risk

[ddeclue]

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2006/10/post_12.html

Opposing view: Small planes aren't big risk
Crashes like this one are rare, and they’re a poor excuse to limit flying.
By Phil Boyer

Wednesday's accident was tragic and highly regrettable. And it certainly stung the nerves of post-9/11 New Yorkers. But the fact is: It was an accident. For USA TODAY to pose a series of unsubstantiated "what-if" questions and concerns regarding small aircraft, their safety and security is uninformed and ill-conceived. It's also highly irresponsible because it needlessly stokes already-heightened public concerns.

USA TODAY has not waited for the facts behind this tragedy; determining the cause (and any possible remedies) of an accident like this is a process that can take months. Instead, USA TODAY is exploiting this extraordinarily rare occurrence, using it as the barest thread of justification to bolster its long-standing and indefensible bias against small aircraft. (Read USA TODAY's view.)

The facts show that thousands of the small planes that make up general aviation fly safely over and near U.S. cities every day, just as cars and trucks drive on our highways and streets. That's especially true around New York City. So we ask: Does a single auto accident generate questions about whether cars should be on our roadways? Of course not.

For USA TODAY to question the need for increased ground security ignores the fact that general aviation pilots know their passengers and cargo. And it ignores the fact that the federal agencies responsible for our security — the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration — have looked hard at general aviation and said it does not pose a threat. Mayor Michael Bloomberg himself indicated that this event says "nothing" about security to New York City.

This accident is a sad event compounded by the loss of life, and our profound sympathies go out to the affected families. Like many things, flying involves a small measure of risk, but general aviation pilots work continuously to minimize those risks.

Pilots are passionate about the many joys of flying. Our freedom of travel is one of the great liberties we all enjoy in the USA. Challenging that through USA TODAY's unfounded questions — not honest and informed inquiry — has neither merit nor benefit.

Phil Boyer is the president of the 408,000-member Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the world's largest aviation group.

Posted at 12:21 AM/ET, October 12, 2006 in Air travel - Editorial, Terrorism - Editorial, USA TODAY editorial | Permalink


Posted here by:

Douglas J. De Clue
AOPA Member
FAA Licensed Pilot, Single Engine Land
Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech

and

Democrat.