Pettition for Miles O'Brian to Shut the Hell Up

[alphaone]

I know alot has been said about how terrible the media is dealing with aviation, but I can't take it anymore. If I hear Miles O'Brian referred to as an "aviation expert" again after he says something ridiculously incorrect and speculative, I'm going to do go insane. And this goes for all the "aviation experts" on TV who are talking out of their ass. Please, just say what you know and stop acting like the God of aviation. Not that it will make a differance, but say if you agree with me or not...

[AlexF]

I'd sign it.....if it weren't for the fact that the media would see my name on the list and then bring in an "expert" on how this petition violates the freedom of the press and how we're all racisit, sexist, anti-america...

[TFaudree_ERAU]

Although the media will never have an "expert" on its full time staff, I'd have to say Miles is probably the best thing we'll have to represent the industry (until the producers call a true expert 4 hours after the crash). At least he didn't call it an Airbus 767 on 9/11 (yes, I heard it). You ever tried dumbing down a METAR report for the general public? Or how about an ILS approach system (SWA Midway crash). He does a fair job in my opinion.

[jtrain609]

Doesn't he own a Cirrus?

[Wild_Weasel]

Uggh, I was listening to him earlier about half an hour after it was reported. He said something retarded like this, "Sometimes small aircraft have problems making steep turns and can't recover...So it's possible the pilot could have made a turn then ended up having a problem."

[jtrain609]

Originally Posted by Wild_Weasel

Uggh, I was listening to him earlier about half an hour after it was reported. He said something retarded like this, "Sometimes small aircraft have problems making steep turns and can't recover...So it's possible the pilot could have made a turn then ended up having a problem."

You've never had a student try to put on on a spin during your base to final turn eh?

[Wild_Weasel]

Originally Posted by jtrain609

You've never had a student try to put on on a spin during your base to final turn eh?

Well, no. >.>

It was the way he worded it, though; he made it sound as if G.A. planes get into trouble whenever they try to turn without ever using the words stall, spin, etc...what annoyed me was how much speculating he was doing.

[DMBinHBurg]

Yes,
He owns an SR22.

T

[jtrain609]

Originally Posted by Wild_Weasel

Well, no. >.>

It was the way he worded it, though; he made it sound as if G.A. planes get into trouble whenever they try to turn without ever using the words stall, spin, etc...what annoyed me was how much speculating he was doing.

Or he was trying to dumb things down for the general public so he didn't have to say, "Well you see, as you turn load factor goes up and stall speed is also increased. When a wing gets to the critical angle of attack it will stall, but if you're in a turn it'll be at a higher speed than what is placarded. If you are uncordinated when this happens, one wing will stall more than the other and you'll start to spin because one wing is generating more lift than the other. This is a common situation for low time pilots to get into, as many students have known to panic and stomp on a rudder to try to get themselves turned around quickly only to spin into the ground from a low altitude. It would also be important to note that the Cirrus is not certified for spins and has never been able to break one even after extensive testing by the FAA. That's why the airplane has a chute."

OR, he could just say, "Some planes can have problems turning."

Now I'm not exactly an apologist for the media, but if you've ever watched this guy talk because you can see the gears turning of how the heck he's going to dumb things down for the general public. I've heard him explain things fairly decently a few times, only to have to say it another way because the idiot news anchor he's talking with didn't have a damned clue what he said. The man has 600 hours and a private pilots license with an instrument rating, he might not be God's gift to aviation but he certinally has more experience than even some of the people posting here eh?

[TFaudree_ERAU]

Originally Posted by Wild_Weasel

he made it sound as if G.A. planes get into trouble whenever they try to turn

But they do...don't they. And I thought any time you get in an airplane you have a 50/50 chance of crashing.

[alphaone]

Maybe I worded it too hard. I just get sick of hearing the dumbing down and simpalizaion of aviation. Miles flies small GA aircraft, like almost everyone on this board. His opinion is as good as anyone elses. Furthermore, there are a ton of people, many on this board, who have jizzillions more experience than him and are in a way better position to make a comment. I don't know why CNN doesn't call Doug Taylor, DE727UPS, B767Driver, and all the others....

[JaceTheAce]

Originally Posted by alphaone

Maybe I worded it too hard. I just get sick of hearing the dumbing down and simpalizaion of aviation. Miles flies small GA aircraft, like almost everyone on this board. His opinion is as good as anyone elses. Furthermore, there are a ton of people, many on this board, who have jizzillions more experience than him and are in a way better position to make a comment. I don't know why CNN doesn't call Doug Taylor, DE727UPS, B767Driver, and all the others....

Because people of any sort of decent knowledge in aviation know to leave the speculation up to the NTSB.

[wrxpilot]

Originally Posted by alphaone

Maybe I worded it too hard. I just get sick of hearing the dumbing down and simpalizaion of aviation. Miles flies small GA aircraft, like almost everyone on this board. His opinion is as good as anyone elses. Furthermore, there are a ton of people, many on this board, who have jizzillions more experience than him and are in a way better position to make a comment. I don't know why CNN doesn't call Doug Taylor, DE727UPS, B767Driver, and all the others....

Maybe because Doug and some of the others don't want to talk to the media and have everything they say twisted and taken out of context?

[Chris_Ford]

Originally Posted by alphaone

I don't know why CNN doesn't call Doug Taylor, DE727UPS, B767Driver, and all the others....

Because when was the last time any of those guys flew a piston single?

[B767Driver]

Originally Posted by Chris_Ford

Because when was the last time any of those guys flew a piston single?

Tuesday October 10th...yesterday.

[Doug Taylor]

D'oh!

And I think DE727UPS owns several piston singles.

[SteveC]

Think he just bought a multi recently, too. Piper Apache?

[mikecweb]

I would keep that on the down low. Unless you really wanna talk with Wolf about airplanes and try to make anything you say sound dramatic.

[SkyHawg]

[tonyw]

Originally Posted by alphaone

Maybe I worded it too hard. I just get sick of hearing the dumbing down and simpalizaion of aviation.

You're going to have to get used to it. Most Americans haven't got the first clue about what forces are involved in keeping an airplane flying, NOR DO THEY GIVE A DAMN! As long as they get their sodas and peanuts and the fare's low, that's all they care about.

You, me, and the rest of those here care. We can explain why it's dangerous to get into a steep turn at a low airspeed if someone is interested, but most people aren't. Try to do that and they'll get that glazed over look. So that's why you've got O'Brian simplifying things to the point of absurdity.