oon

By KEN WHITEHURST

The prevalent picture of
an aviation disaster is a huge
commercial airliner
Slamming into the earth, but,
in fact, most aircrash victims
are those who fly single-
engine airplanes.

Until the two 1978 crashes
in Cranbrook, B.C. and
Toronto, it had been four
years since a passenger who
perished aboard a com-

mercial airliner. Earlier this:

winter, 17 persons perished
in a crash at Quebec City.

Transport Canada figures,
however, showed that from

1976 to June 1979 privately airlines, but that level of

owned single-engine aircraft ‘training would not be

weighing less than 5,000 Ibs, practical to achieve.

were involved in 1,194.

accidents - and. claimed. "258 ec. | : “We -should_.remember

victims:. " that: ;while“there are. more.

7 accidents in general

Moredver, the accident aviation, small aircraft

rate for general aviation - "¢Present 98 percent of the

most flights excluding that of ‘tal number of aircraft

commercial airlines - was lying.

significantly higher than that
for scheduled domestic
aviation. Transport Canada
figures show that in 1977, the
accident rate per 100,000
flying hours for scheduled
domestic flights was zero,
while for general aviation
the rate was 19.1.

Jack Bray, superintendent
of accident-incident  in-
formation for Transport
Canada, said most small
aircraft accidents result from
inexperienced pilots.

“I would. say most ac-
cidents result: from a_ pilot
getting into conditions -
weather, wind, poor landing

Rw

HALIFAX, N.S.: The ‘Halifax HY (r), one of the two new passenger ferries
to begin crossings between Halifax and Dartmouth, N.S. the beginning of
-|+—September, was out on test runs in the harbour last week. The ferry

Lege

areas - where he doesn't
really have the experience or
training to handle it,” Bray
said.

But Russ Beach, president
of the .20,000-member
Canadian Owners and Pilots
Association, warned the
accident figures should be
kept in perspective.

“Aviation is a pretty safe -

means of transportation - a
lot safer than highways,” he
said. “I would be willing to
agree that there is not as
high a degree of training in
general aviation as in the

Beach said Canada has
between 50,000 to 60,000
licensed pilots.

Growing concern about
aviation accidents has
prompted Transport
Minister Don Mazankowski
to order a public inquiry into
aviation safety.

Among the proups most
concerned are Canada's
commercial airline pilots.
While their safety record has
‘been commendable, they are
concerned about the
“Sunday Drivers” of the
airwaves - small aircraft
pilots.

ingle-engined air

.

Claim 255 lives sin

Roger Burgess-Webb,
spokesman for the Canadian
Airline Pilots’ Association,
said, “We would like to see
more satellite airports for
light aircraft. There is no
way we want to do anything
to hurt recreation flying, but
we'd -like to see less
recreational flying out of
commercial airports.”

Beach agreed improved
facilities are needed for
private pilots. St. Hubert is
the most dangerous airport
in Canada because it’s

‘bilingual - and in Toronto,

there are not enough good
general .ayiation facilities,
either.”

Burgess-Webb said for the
small airplane pilot, most

flying i is visual rather than by ,

instruments. Using visual
flight gules, a pilot finds his
way from point to point by
following landmarks on the
ground.

Often an accident is
caused by disorienting
weather. “It could be haze
that causes you to loose a
horizon, it doesn’t have to be
a raging thunderstorm”
Burgess-Webb said.

The visual flight rules
work fairly well, however,
said Beach,

“Down throdgh the years
these techniques have been
tremendously improved to

keep up with increased air
traffic.”

‘Halifax II,’ doing her daily crossings (in the background) will be put out
of operation after twenty years of service. (UPC wirephoto)

Beach,
. worried that increased fuel

however, is

costs will ground small_
aircraft pilots and cause a

deterioration in their flying

skills. “The more costly and
more difficult it gets to get
fuel, the more this will have
a depressing effect on the
enthusiasm for flying.

“I don’t like pilots
reducing the amount of their
training time,” he said.

A shortage of good in-
structors is another reason
many pilots are not fully
prepared for flight
emergencies, Burgess-Webb
said.,

woe! “Flight-- instructors in

Canada are just- putting: in.
time - they're often” juse:
waiting for a place with the
airlines as a pilot,” he said.

Beach, however, believes
the quality of flight in-
struction is satisfactory. “By
and large our instruction is
good,” he said.

Before a private licence is
granted, Transport Canada
puts’ prospective pilots
through rigorous testing,
both written and practical,
although it only requires a 60
percent score to gain a pass
on the written paper.

Robert McLeod, Tran-
sport Canada superintendant
of personnel licensing, said
the 60 percent pass mark was
reached following a general
concensus among flying
organizations.

“aircraft, ~~. *

Page A19, August'12, 1979- Sunday News -

at

He said, however, the
requirements for licensing
are “reviewed constantly.
They're being reviewed right
now by the International
Civil
Organization.”

- Beach is wary of new
regulations governing flight,
because he said they often
do littleto improve aviation
safety and often make flying
more complicated than it
need be,

Both Beach and Burgess-
Webb agreed that once you
build the landing strips, train
the pilots and lay down the
tegulations, the problem of
tracking equipment still
remains - the sheer size. of

-Canada- makes. it impdssible

to -keep track . of every.

“There's little crowded
sky, except around large
terminals,” said Beach.
“You can go up, and not see

another airplane.”

Beach said the problems
for private pilots become
more complex where there is
bilingual air traffic control,
he said. “It’s something they
want to implement for
political reasons instead of
safety reasons.”

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