Mid-air in California

When you hear these comments on the air or see them in print, take the time
to send an email or letter to the reporter. Don't lecture or go overboard.
Politely point out how stupid it sounds for them to say such things. Not too
technical. I use something like,

"Regarding the tragic airplane accident that you reported on XXXXX. Since
airplane accidents are fairly rare, I do understand why they get so much
media attention. As a pilot and frequent airplane passenger, I wish they
didn't happen at all. However, we all accept a level of risk in most things
that we do - like driving cars or just walking down the street.

I wanted to make you aware that flight plans are not required for a large
portion of flights that occur in this country. Very similar to leaving the
driveway in your car. You are responsible for maneuvering your car, avoiding
others, following the rules of the road, and getting to your destination
without causing an accident. This is true for every flight. The commercial
flights and many General Aviation flights do use Air Traffic Control to
assist, but the responsibility still largely remains with the pilot. A
"Flight Plan" is not necessary to fly safely nor does it guarantee safety.

Sometimes, things go wrong. Maybe a mechanical problem that affects your
ability to control your car - or someone else. Sometimes, it is a lapse in
judgment - or distractions. We all try to avoid these situations to the best
of our ability in all things that we do.

As you reported, we don't yet know all the details of what went wrong with
the accident planes on XXXXX. When we do, pilots everywhere will be looking
for lessons learned to avoid putting themselves in the same situation. I
wish other car drivers were as diligent as my fellow pilots in trying to
follow the rules and learn from the past.

Until we know more, sensationalizing these kinds of stories based on
conjecture or a lack of understanding is not the kind of responsible
reporting I have come to expect from you or your station/paper.

I would be happy to discuss flying more or to put you in contact with other
local pilots, Air Traffic Control, or airport authorities. If you would like
to understand the system and what flying in the United States is like, let
me know."

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Travis
Lake N3094P
PWK
"Rich Ahrens" wrote in message
. net...
C J Campbell wrote:
That fact that it is extremely rare probably does not make anyone
involved feel any better about it.

There were four souls lost in the collision between a 152 and a 172. AP
and CNN say one of them was in a car in the ground and the rest on board
the planes. UPI says two of the victims were on the ground. I suppose it
will take some time to straighten out what happened.

And, true to form, the ABC station's live-on-the-scene bimbo noted that
they had been unable to determine yet if either plane had filed a flight
plan with the Corona airport. Good grief.