|
We live in a society that is centered on asphalt and
concrete. Observe the world from a thousand feet or so and notice that people
spend the vast majority of their lives close to or on roads.
Mentally strip away the cars, buildings and other
objects leaving only the people and you will see that humans cover a very
small fraction of the earth˘s surface, except on asphalt and concrete. That
is why when small airplanes fall out of the sky they rarely kill people on the
ground.
With a drivers license you can drive a 25,000
lb Winnebago on packed freeways at 75
mph, surrounded by innocent people in vans, small cars
and motorcycles. Have a medical incapacitation and there is a very good
chance you will kill several of them.
Assume a pilot is about to embark on a trip from LA
to Oklahoma City,
and unknown to him, he is going to have a massive fatal stroke in the next 24
hours.
If he chooses to drive straight through he will have
the stroke while driving, with perhaps a 10% chance of killing an innocent
person.
If he fly˘s a Lancair there is a 21% chance
(5hrs/24hrs) he will be flying when he has the stroke, and when the plane
hits the ground perhaps one chance in three hundred that an innocent
person will be killed, so one chance in 1,440 of an innocent death.
If medical certification forces him out of the
cockpit, risk to the public increases 14,400%.
We could debate the appropriate medical standards
for driving a car, but the medical standards for flying a light plane should
be much lower than those for driving. Anyone licensed to drive should be
encouraged to fly a light plane in the interest of public safety.
Medical certification for flying light planes reduces
public safety in contradiction to the FAA˘s mandate, and should be eliminated.
To their credit aeromedical in Oklahoma City used statistical data
to make the age 40 rule change based on the average person less likely to
have an incapacitating event in their thirties. I can tell you the system
often does work to keep some people from flying who shouldnt be for those
they might bring along and those on the ground below. I would like to see
how they collected the data on those accidents on pilots without their
medical certificate. Accidents related to medical issues are rare and we
know how the data is collected on those with medical certificates.
Thanks for the stats on the pilot group. Makes the
point for everyone to have the proper training while getting the experience
needed. Keep em coming. I wouldnt think of flying without recurrent
proficiency training.
|
|