WIX Archives

Re: Problems facing warbirds movement

Posted by Scott WRG Editor on Wed Oct 22, 2003 10:17:33 PM

In reply top Re: Problems facing warbirds movement posted by John Beyl on Wed Oct 22, 2003 01:23:27 PM


: Scott,
:
: Look at the number of GA sorties vs. that of warbird/vinta
: ge AC and compare the incident/sortie percentages of both
: types. Admittedly I have never seen those numbers but I'd
: be willing to go out on a limb and say they would not be
: kind to us in the warbird community. We need to improve i
: n ways already pointed out in other follow-ups in this thr
: ead.
:
: You will never see fair and balanced reporting from 98% of
: the media. From their point of view, (Very liberal) auto
: mobile transportation and general aviation (Especially the
: warbird sector) cannot be compared because they view GA a
: s non-essential unlike the cars we drive everyday. It's e
: asier for them to dismiss the much larger number of automo
: bile crashes, albeit appalling (Especially drug-induced cr
: ashes) because the general public understands ground trans
: portation vs. flying.

I was just using that as an example. Cars are extremely dangerous and far more lethal than aircraft yet there is almost no regulation of drivers abilities. Any idiot can get a license with almost no training or skill. Thousands die every year and no one cares.

In general warbirds are more dangerous than GA aircraft. The environments they are used in (ie low altitude acrobatics) as well as the type of aircraft they are tend to lead to a harsher accident/sortie rate. Look at the accident/sortie rates of these aircraft during WWII, it's even worse. GA aircraft are flown in a much more sedate manner and thus are less likely to be involved in the same type of accidents as warbirds. If warbirds were flown like cessna's then I doubt we would have half as many accidents.

Don't get me wrong, I think that pilot training and certification as well as strict maintenance standards need to be established to make it as safe as possible. It should be realized that accidents will happen, we should try to prevent them but the only way to do so 100% of the time is to ground these aircraft. I doubt any of us here want to do this.

I'm saddened by this accident as we all are but I'm afraid of some moronic politician using incidents like this as well as data lacking in context to drive through a bill that hurts the warbirds movement. I have seen it happen before, I have lost one hobby due to legilation. It can happen again.

I don't mean to offend anyone and these opinions are my own and do not reflect those of the other members of the WRG.

Scott WRG Editor


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