AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2008 - (Page 44) LETTERS the FAA. One mining engineer was furious, as prior to statehood he could haul 1,000 pounds in his Cessna 180 and is now limited to half that. I asked the pilots if, when they were free in the past to modify and load their airplanes as heavily as they could and still fly, the accident rate was any higher. The reply was a unanimous “no!” The right type airplanes for the average person in no great hurry with no need to fly great distances, and the opportunity to repair, maintain, and modify his own personal airplane just as he does with his car or boat— these are the needs to be filled before flying can really grow. John W. Hodgkin, AOPA 81459 Long Beach, California 1968 We have read of the shortage of airline pilots and the need for more trained personnel. Does the average person know that there are present classes of airline students on furlough or that the flight schools are using this so-called shortage to greatly increase their enrollment? I am a parent who has found that after 500 hours and many dollars spent on an aviation career for my son, it is almost impossible to get employment. As for GA, the majority of the companies and air-taxi services call for 1,000 hours. Where does a young fellow start? W.R. Caswell, AOPA 191256 Middleboro, Massachusetts 1974 I noted the concern over the supposed fuel crisis in the letters written to you by fellow members of AOPA (February 1974 Pilot). In comparing the merits of air travel over automobile travel, I ponder if the protectors of our environment have considered what advantage flying might have in the protection of the air we all breathe. It seems to me that if we are operating our engines less hours and burning less fuel between any two given points, with what would seem to me to be more efficient engines, are we not also protecting our environment? With much of the public thinking as they do about “little bitty airplanes,” we should make all facets of our case clear to the nonflying public. Don K. Kyser, AOPA 495889 Midland, Texas 1979 Whenever I take a friend flying, the first thing he does is fasten his seatbelt. He then nervously inquires as to what happens if the engine fails in flight. I reply that a forced landing will be necessary. He then always suggests that I follow highways and/or open pastures and farm fields. After the flight we hop into my friend’s car for a drive back to town. He doesn’t put his auto seatbelt on, and drives 60 mph on a two-way highway, whistling all the way. And for every car he passes from the opposite direction, he comes within two or three feet of a combined 120-mph head-on collision. Frank Petry, AOPA 634580 Eufaula, Alabama 1989 In this age of “enforcement-oriented” FAA policy, hyped media, our “aging” fleet, high prices, and liability nightmares, we need all the friends we can get for GA. John Q. Citizen is a good place to build a foundation of good will for the future. How many times did we wish the public could understand our passion for flight? How many times did we wish that the controller understood what he just asked us to do? How many of us were AOPA PILOT • 44 • MARCH 2008 http://www.vistanav.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.