Phil Boyer gives USA an appetizer to chew on

[falconvalley]

I apologize if this a repeat. Didn't see it in general threads. Found this on USATODAY.COM.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion...x.htm?csp=N009

Small planes aren't big risk
Posted 10/11/2006 10:30 PM ET


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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.
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 10/11/2006 10:30 PM ET

[bLizZuE]

Good.

[N422NM]

As one of my students is fond of saying "Punch them in the junk...."

[Jetstar1]

Could someone please ask Phil's office to send a copy of this letter to Richard M. Daley's office. I am so sick and tired of the dumbass media and people like Daley that are ABSOLUTELY clueless about aviation. If we do not do something about these idiot politicians we are ALL going to pay!! I truly agree that what happened the other day was a freaky mess, i mean how did this guy even with a CFI on board end up in the side of a building? this was a brand new Cirrus!! I sure hope the NTSB gets to the bottom of this one. I am still burned up about the Meig's incident, if i had needed to land there due to some kind of an emergency and found that the airport was closed without warning, i would have sued the city of Chicago to no end! This is getting old post 9/11 with general aviation.

[awseft]

Did you also read the article that lead to this? I could not believe my eyes as I read. I started my own letter and then read Phil's. It cooled my blood a little to know that they posted it but it stil upsets me that reports don't research both sides. They just want to scare the public to increase ratings. Politics

[Minnesota_Flyer]

USA Today = McNews

[Nick]

I'd like to see an editorial on why creating a no-fly zone will not work. Maybe I'll write one myself.

I'll assume that the main reason some of the public wants airspace more restricted is terrorism, since this Cirrus crash might as well have occurred in a neighborhood in the suburbs and landed on a house.

With that assumption, do people actually think class B airspace is going to stop a terrorist?

We have laws against murder -- how have those been working in the past several hundred years?

Terrorists are not at all interested in keeping their pilot record free of violations and if they really want to load half a ton of something into the back of a plane and fly a bunch of them in formation towards buildings, then they will go ahead and do that. An ADIZ, TFR, whatever else is not going to stop them.

They could crash a few planes into buildings and wreak a bit of havoc. Or they could blow up an eighteen wheeler in the middle of the Holland Tunnel. One of those is more of a threat than the other right now, and the public reaction to the Cirrus crash is giving any potential terrorists a clue as to just how clue-less their enemy might be.

[Ramsey]

GO PHIL!